The Lost Elements: A Quest of Bravery
by Clef Jumper
Summary: [Book 1 of The Lost Elements series.] Silver Stream finds herself lacking something in her life and is called on an epic quest to find it. Join Silver, Sunny Day, and Dewdrop Meadow on this adventure and learn of the mysteries and dark secrets that lie just beneath the surface of this story. (Rated T for potential language and themes)
1. Prologue - A New Magic

(A/N): Hey, all! After an unintentional hiatus and some time to think about the series, I've decided to rewrite and revise the Lost Elements to fix some story plot and make it a more enjoyable story altogether. It'll be easier to write and I'll be able to feature more of Silver's humor and improve the mood of the story. Chapters already written and released will be revised and published shortly, but if they don't come out immediately, I'm sorry (there's a LOT of plot I have to fix up). Anyway, if you enjoy this story, don't be afraid to message me anytime. Without further ado, I give you the new and improved The Lost Elements: A Quest of Bravery!

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~ Prologue ~

A New Magic

She lived in a void of stars, a hidden dimension from the land below. Watching over this domain, she kept everything in balance and controlled the flow of light versus dark forces. It was an enormous task to carry out, but being it her utmost duty as the goddess of the celestial realm, her divine powers helped aid her abilities in one of the highest honors many ponies could only ever dream of having.

Her mane was extremely long and wavy, but not flowy like the two sisters that ruled the land their subjects had named Equestria. At its roots, her mane and tail were a deep violet that blended together smoothly with a glorious golden blonde that produced the bottom of each, where the tips shone a faint, heavenly white. Her irises near the eyelid held the same deep violet shade of her mane, but her right eye blended into a glimmering silver while her left eye blended into a rich prussian blue, representing the light of day and the dark of night. Her coat was a soothing creamy white and faded into the same blue as her left eye at her hooves, dotted with small, white spots that resembled a sea of glimmering stars. Her grand wings and alicorn horn faded in this same manner. Finally, her cutie mark was a small black silhouette of the moon over a larger and brighter glowing sphere of the sun. And there she dwelled among the cosmos, watching over the two rulers of Equestria and the entirety of the earth and its inhabitants alike.

As countless measures of two-dimensional screens circled lazily around the alicorn, some displaying a moment that occurred simultaneously in the land down below while others displayed images and references for review, the goddess watched the eldest Royal Sister, known to the kingdom as Princess Celestia, with a graceful motion of her head raise the moon and stars for the ponies across the land to softly fall asleep to. This was because her younger sister, Princess Luna, was still in exile, imprisoned within the moon's silvery sheen. Rather, Nightmare Moon had been imprisoned, and her silhouette was clearly visible as the glowing orb took its place in the night sky.

The celestial goddess gazed upon the princess, a look of pride and sadness mixed in her unmatched eyes. The strength in overcoming the loss of her sibling while she was the reason her sibling was lost brought so many emotions to the goddess that, in the end, there was nothing to do but admire her. "Oh, Celestia," the goddess whispered softly from the void of stars, "I've watched you and your sister both grow so much over the years, and someday I wish to meet you both when you have settled your differences... and when the time is right."

Suddenly, with her incredible ability to perceive the stability of life within the land, she sensed a shifting in the magical balance of Equestria. The goddess recognized the feeling as one of new magic surfacing, though strangely, she didn't detect anything dark or corrupt in its purposes for emerging.

Closing her eyes silently, a translucent silver aura surrounded her horn as she located another screen within the swirling mass around her. Once she had pinpointed it, she teleported it to appear next to the existing image of Celestia. This new image held a map of Equestria, and a pulsing orb of pure white was glowing over two separate locations on the map, one over the Everfree Forest near the old, abandoned castle where the Two Sisters had once made their abode, and the other over a swamp in the southeast corner of Equestria that was known as the Hayseed Swamps.

"Could it be?" the goddess wondered aloud as she selected the orb over the Everfree Forest with her magic, another smaller screen surfacing instantly, hovering a few inches in front of the lower-left corner of the map. In its center stood a crystal-like tree that was meant to hold six different colored and shaped emblems known as the Elements of Harmony, created long ago for the protection of Equestria. This tree came to be known as the Tree of Harmony, although the Elements of Harmony were no longer attached as they had been taken for safekeeping. The tree pulsed with a glowing energy every few seconds, sending shimmering waves down its trunk and through its roots. It seemed this was the source of new magic the goddess had sensed.

Finally, she selected the second orb pulsing over the swamplands, this time forming another screen the same size as the one showing the Tree of Harmony over the lower right corner of the map. A dark and gloomy swamp filled with drooping trees covered in vines and moss was shown. A fair amount of space was cleared in the damp grass and marsh, and in the center of this clearing a spot pulsed and glowed in the same manner as the Tree of Harmony did on its adjacent screen.

"I think it is," the goddess marveled, then smiled contentedly. "After thousands of years, harmony in Equestria has sought to fix the mistake I made in the past." With her alicorn magic, she replaced the images in front of her with three different screens, each displaying a still front view picture of one pony, though all of them were pegasi. None of these mares existed in the current timeline, but would someday be born for a purpose greater than themselves, bound together by fate to take part in a quest that would forever shape the land of Equestria. "It will take another age for the magic to cultivate and develop to its fullest, but I intend a powerful destiny for these three when the time is right."

The pony on the far left had a light silvery grey coat, bright green eyes, and a blonde mane with a single bleach white streak through its center. Around her neck was wrapped a white bandana she would find when fleeing from her birth home in Los Pegasus to a small village just south of Equestria's capital city. She would keep it as a reminder that she could be whoever she wanted to be, and nopony could hold her back from that. "Silver Stream," the goddess stated proudly, "the Element of Bravery."

The pony with the middle of the three screens had a pale yellow coat, soft pastel green eyes, and a short and slightly waved powder blue mane. Her extensive tail was tied up into a messy bun with a matching pastel green band and would keep it out of the way of any work. "Dewdrop Meadow," the goddess said, "the Element of Unity."

Finally, the pony on the far right had a soft and subtle cream-colored coat, sprightly sky blue eyes, and a long, messy orange mane with a yellow streak through its middle. "And Sunny Day," the goddess finished, "the Element of Light."

She gazed at the three ponies for a few moments longer before saying finally, "You three are destined to embody the final missing pieces of the Elements of Harmony. Once they reform and have been reunited with the original six, no evil can stand in your way."

Her gaze then darkened as she gazed at the portraits. "It will be a challenge," she started gravely, "but you must prove you are able to endure hardships in your life, and you must _especially_ prove you are able to conquer and overcome these hardships." Her cold glare shifted to something softer, something somber and sympathetic. "Even when you are on the brink of disaster."

The goddess eyed each portrait individually for a few moments, turning her gaze lastly to Sunny Day. Her visage was resolute and firm as she stood for a few moments silently. "No matter how insignificant," she voiced finally, "every choice you make in your life has an impact and _will_ make an impact on the world around you. And _your_ choice, Sunny Day…"

Her eyes closed, a gesture indicating she made a vital conclusion.

"…is what determines the fate of Equestria."

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Quick note that should be fairly obvious, I do not own the rights to the My Little Pony franchise, I only own original characters and plot created for this story. I hope you've enjoyed the prologue, which will be the only chapter written primarily in the third person. The rest of the chapters to follow will be written in first-person perspective following... well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out, won't you?


	2. Chapter 1 - Message from the Unknown

(A/N): You would not believe how much this chapter changed from the original. And some of the following chapters are gonna have even more drastic changes, probably to the point where hardly anything about them stays the same from the original to the revised version of this book. It's all for a better story, though, just trust me on that. Also, big (HUGE) thanks to impressionsguy for helping me with the dialogue between my OC Silver Stream and his OC Chuck! If you haven't read his ongoing series, Equestria's Newest Comedian, I HIGHLY suggest you take a look at it (though it doesn't get good until a handful of chapters through; just skip to after the opening of his tavern and you'll probably be good to go). He is one of the funniest guys I've ever had the pleasure to meet and become friends with, and his stories are amazing. Go check him out! And now, I present to you the revised Chapter 1.

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~ Chapter 1 ~

Message from the Unknown

Where this whole mess starts? I guess I'd have to begin somewhere. I was sitting on a small cloud hanging low above the village of Ponyville. Who am I, you may ask yourself? My name, if you feel so inclined to ask, is Silver Stream, nopony all that special or interesting. Anyway, I faced the setting sun as I watched it sink closer to the horizon. It was a ritual to me, of sorts, which sounds a little insane, but let me explain. I never had much to do back in these days, so I would always watch the sunset after every day unless I had other plans, which I never usually did.

"There you are," a voice sounded to my side, catching me off guard. I turned to find an all too familiar face standing beside me on the small chunk of condensation I was situated upon. This pony in particular was a one Rainbow Dash, probably (definitely) the first pegasus I met when I first moved to Ponyville. Long story short, I was to begin training at the Wonderbolts Academy a few years back, and she kinda helped break me out of my shell a bit. We've been close friends since those days back at the Academy, and we were even inducted into the Wonderbolts together as a sort of infamous pair. If that isn't best friend material, I don't know what is. "I've been looking all over for you," Rainbow continued as she took a seat beside me.

"Why?" Of course, I didn't know Rainbow Dash represented one of the Elements of Harmony from the _very_ beginning, but I found out eventually. This fact, even despite her commitment to being in the Wonderbolts, kept her extremely busy with what she called "friendship missions" and having to run off to the edges of Equestria every once in a while. Or more like five seconds with how often evil seemed to be jumping out from around corners, these days.

"Twilight's gonna be out of town for a few days," she explained. "She said something about an important meeting with the Royal Sisters in Canterlot, and there hasn't been much call for any friendship missions."

I gave her the old side-eye as a playful smirk spread across my face. "What are you saying?" I pressed.

"Well, basically," she started, dragging out these first two words as much as she possibly could, "I'm not as busy as I used to be."

"Yeah," I started, an eyebrow cocked in skepticism, "not with Spitfire breathing down your neck."

We shared a nice laugh after that, but even with my best friend by my side to lighten the mood, I couldn't help but feel the emptiness in my heart cave in at this moment. My laugh faded, my eyes lost their sparkle, and my smile faltered, all of which Rainbow seemed almost eager to point out. Could you tell I was being sarcastic? No? Okay, then.

"Come on, I can tell you haven't been acting like yourself lately," the cyan pegasus prodded. Her tone almost challenged me to meet her gaze, to face the truth and admit there was something wrong…

To be brave.

"I…" I couldn't bring myself to face her, to face the truth. Not for now, anyway, so I came up with an easy explanation that I knew she would believe. "I just wish I could be like you and your friends. Go on adventures, have lots of fun, and… you know, not be bored all the time."

"For the record," Dash started, "most of the time these 'adventures' are more or less do or die situations where we really don't have a choice whether or not we wanna help out. The only fun part about any of it is finally getting to go home." Pausing momentarily, she studied my expression, the corners of her mouth lifting into a subtle smile. "But, of course, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Memories of a cold, damp, and dark chamber surrounded by a countless throng of helpless ponies rushed to my head, and I couldn't help but shiver at the chill that rushed down my spine. "If by that you mean the attempted invasion of the Storm King, you hit the nail right on the head," I admitted. "But I did end up meeting a very good friend, the one who gave us the motivation to stand up and fight back."

"Right, who was that again?" Rainbow asked, her eyebrows knit together in thought, but her goofy grin signifying she knew exactly who it was. "Charlie… Chazz… Chip?"

"Uh, _Chuck_ Pie," I said matter-of-factly, "Pinkie's husband? Ring a bell, genius?"

"Doi, of course I'd remember a weirdo like Chuck."

"Hey, that _weirdo_ basically lead an entire nation of ponies to victory," I told her. "A revolution, we liked to call it."

"Yes, Silver," the pegasus rolled her magenta eyes, but flashed a smile, "I was there."

"Yeah…" I breathed, my voice trailing off as my thoughts were filled with the vivid imagery of battle, adventure, and my eyes lit up in a shining glimmer once more. I could remember every rush of adrenaline, every gasp of breath as if it were my last, every pain and bruise that fighting brought with it.

I glanced down at my left wing with tips of shimmering silver, the one that had been badly damaged by Tempest Shadow. The surge of pain I felt when a blast from her broken horn struck my wing was nothing like I had ever experienced before, like a white-hot soccer ball sized brandishing iron stuck directly on my wing. Only the actual damage done was ten thousand times worse. The medics were able to patch it up well enough so that I would get most of my flying capabilities back, but if another serious injury were to occur to the same wing? Let's just say I wouldn't be so lucky, next time.

Anyway, my mind had drifted back to that fateful day, the day of our escape and Equestria's victory over the dreaded Storm King. A part of me wished my life could be more like then, epic journeys with purpose and meaning instead of wasting my time watching sunsets, just a pony with nothing better to do. "My point is that my life isn't as exciting as yours is." I gave a huff of a sigh, my eyes returning to the dull I had become all too familiar with. "I'm nothing special; I don't do anything."

"That's nowhere near true," Rainbow tried to persuade. "You're a Wonderbolt, aren't you? _That's_ pretty cool."

"Maybe," I agreed, "but I've never been singled for an act. That's _your_ thing."

"You've gotten some solo routines, haven't you?"

I shook my head silently. "Best I've gotten is a duet routine… with _you_."

"Silver－"

"Let's face it," I cut her off absentmindedly, too caught up in my own self-pity, "I don't nearly compare to you. I don't know why I even try, anymore."

"Okay, now you're just being stubborn," Rainbow said, her tone revealing that she was getting annoyed and running short on patience. "I know this isn't you, Silver. You're better than this." She paused to let the silence wash in on us, giving me time to let her words sink in. "I could sit here all night and tell you every great thing about you," she started again, lifting herself off of the small cloud with a few beats of her wings, "but I think what you really need is to realize them by yourself." Just as she was about to fly off, she stopped herself, turned to me one last time and murmured softly, "I'll see you at practice, Sil."

And with that, I was left alone. Not that I wasn't used to it, but usually I didn't have a stinging sensation in my heart that felt like I had just messed something up. "Damn it, Silver," I cursed under my breath, gritting my teeth. The last thing I needed at that moment was to be alone, but who else could I turn to at a time like this?

Unless…

As soon as the idea popped into my head, I wasted no time leaping from my lonely piece of vapor in the sky and taking a smooth course towards Ponyville, where I hoped that a certain tavern would still be open.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

By the time I reached my destination, the sun had pretty much disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the town to bask in the soft twilight hues of the sky and the warm glow of street lamps. I glanced up at the familiar sign that read "Chuck's Tavern," then at the twin spruce doors before me. Promising myself it would only be one drink, I pushed the doors open to be greeted to the humble ambiance of your everyday pub.

Behind a counter lined with spinning bar stools and backed by a wall stocked with barrels of what one could only assume as the "hard stuff" was a cherry red-coated earth pony stallion with a wild mane of brown and a dapper black bow tie around his neck. This pony was the establishment's bartender known to most as Chuck. " _I've looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow…_ " he hummed to himself as he wiped the counter of his modest tavern.

I stood there for a moment or two just watching him scrub the same spot. Sticky and persistent stain, maybe? Not saying a word, I meandered over to the bar and took a seat on a stool. "Hey, Chuck," I greeted, unable to muster any form of cheer or happiness. What can I say? When I'm in a mopey mood, it stays that way... until I get a good enough buzz, of course.

"Silvy!" he exclaimed, looking up at me. "How ya doing? Well, you can't be doing that good, you're here after all." He laughed at his own joke. It would have made me laugh, too, if I wasn't in such a bad mood. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but stopped short of the first word. What _did_ I want? "Something strong," I told him. "Something that says 'I've been a dick and need to forget about it.' Got anything for that?"

"Are you kidding? I've got plenty that get that point across." Good ol' reliable Chuck. "For you, I'd suggest the Pretty Fly for a Rye Guy to start, and if you're still hurting for more, I've got the Chuck special, which just a full bottle of whiskey," he elaborated. "Fun part about the special is that you get a complimentary shot glass with it." He showed off a shot glass with his tavern's logo. Tempting.

"You done good, Chuck," I praised him with a small smile. "I'll take you up on that offer."

He gave me a brief nod before starting his work. As I watched him craft the beverage, I got to thinking about the bartender's life. Married happily, adopted a kid with two more on the way (that'll give you bags under your eyes), and running a profitable establishment. Even with this lifestyle, he saw and lived plenty of adventures of his own, and I've gotten the chance to hear most of them directly from the source. This was why I liked him, why I admired him. He was a friend that lived a life of excitement and a life of modesty at the same time, and most of all, he'd always be there to whip me up some hard liquor when I needed it most. Now would be one of those times.

"Alrighty," he said, sliding me the Pretty Fly for a Rye Guy, a satisfied look about his face. "So, what, pray tell, has got you feeling so down in the dumps?" he then asked.

"The simple fact that I'm a nopony who doesn't do anything," I told him, pausing to take a sip of the drink. "If I got myself an eye patch and taught myself a few sea shanties, I guess I'd be a _pirate_ who doesn't do anything, eh?" I knew it was a horrible joke, but I laughed at it (out of pity) anyway. Staring into the alcoholic remedy that I'd hope would soothe my aching heart, I let out a sigh. "I'm gonna be honest with you, Chuck." I looked the stallion dead in the eye as I continued, "My whole life I've always felt… empty. Some days more than others, and the past few have been some of the worst I've ever lived." I broke his gaze to stare down at my drink once more and finished wearily, "And I don't exactly know why."

"I relate to you Silver. Back before I moved to this town, I felt exactly the same way you did," he told me as he poured a drink for himself. "It gets better, I'll promise you that. When I met Pinkie, so much changed for me, and now I'm about as happy as I could be." He stopped and thought to himself. "Wow, I sound like a _dick_ ," he remarked, but I didn't blame him much. "Sil, let me tell you this: Life's an adventure, and it is what you make of it. If you feel something is lacking in your life, seek out what it is and fill it," he advised. "We each have a different adventure. My adventure is here, and yours..." he stopped for a moment, then continued with a clever wink, "well, that's for you to find out, but once you know what it is and set your course on it, I can guarantee that emptiness will go away," he concluded. "Get me?"

As I finished up my drink, I gave him a gentle nod. "It's always the bartenders who shed the insightful wisdom, isn't it?" I quipped, sliding him the glass so he could clean it.

"I wouldn't say that," he said and shrugged modestly as he cleaned my glass. "I understand what you're feeling, that's all. You're a very nice pony, Silver. I can see you doing great things." He looked at me, a small grin on his face. "I'll give to you a present of a secret, a little more bartender wisdom, if you will," he chuckled. "The essential is invisible to the eye; it is only with the heart that one sees rightly," he told me. "Get it?"

"If I was more sober, probably," I said with a slightly funny looking grin, "but you can write it down for me on a napkin or something so I can give it some thought later."

"Smart," he snickered a little bit. Brandishing a napkin and quill, he did exactly that and gave the napkin to me. "Don't worry about paying me, the drink's on the house," he told me.

"Aw, you're too kind," I thanked him as I hopped down from the bar stool, napkin in tote. "Thanks for the advice, Chuck," I called back to him from the front doors of the tavern. "You never disappoint."

"Just doin' what friends do." He flashed a modest grin. "G'night Sil, safe trip home."

"And you, as well." With that, I stepped out of the tavern and into the mild chill of night. The satisfying buzz in my head was enough to put a smile on my face as I took one last parting glance at the tavern before taking to the skies. My takeoff was a little rocky, I'll admit, but I was stable enough to fly myself safely home for a decent night's sleep. I did, as Rainbow had mentioned earlier, have practice with the Wonderbolts the following day, and Spitfire would pound me to dust if I showed up late or came in with a massive hangover. The only reason I know is because Rainbow's done it a few times before, but that's a little secret between you and me.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

 _Silver Stream finds herself in an unfamiliar void. She floats freely without using her wings as if she is submerged in water or in a place where gravity is not an issue. The infinite cosmos of space, perhaps? The possibility grows larger as the pegasus realizes she is surrounded by a multitude of stars and galaxies. Everything looks calming and strikingly beautiful, yet Silver can't help but feel anxious about this rather peculiar setting._

Silver Stream, _a voice calls out from the void, echoing from far off. The pegasus glances around the space in search of another being near_ _her but finds herself to be alone. She hears her name called once more from the same fluid voice, though it sounds closer this time._

 _Silver calls out into the void in response, asking who the voice is. A sinking pain of dread sets in the pit of her stomach, realizing that something is definitely at fault._

What you ask is not important at this moment, _the voice responds in the same smooth tone._ There is something you must be informed of.

 _Silver closes her eyes, drawing in a slow and steady breath to calm her escalating nerves. It never registers in her mind, but she subliminally knows to trust in this voice. She keeps quiet._

Tomorrow, when the sun has reached its peak in the sky, the one known to many across the land as the Princess of Friendship will take the Destined Three to the capital city. These three will be informed of an important mission, a divine calling from beyond the mortal realm.

 _The silver pegasus ponders these words, but can't seem to understand one small detail. She asks the voice a question: What does this have to do with me?_

 _Silver senses the true bearer of this message smile upon her despite the lack of a visible vessel._ You, Silver Stream, are one of the Destined Three.

－ _!_

I jerked awake, my head swimming and heart pounding. Gasping for breath, I dart my eyes around to root myself into reality. I was… in my bedroom, looking the same as it always did. From the nearby window, light seeped in through the glass, shrouding the space in an easy glow.

 _…Space…_

"What…" I murmured between breaths, " _was_ that?"

* * *

Also, impressionsguy, I hope you don't mind that I took some continuity from your series. I thought it would be nice to fit something in for a bit of early character development for Silver. Thank you all for reading, there'll be more coming very soon!


	3. Chapter 2 - Something About a Hail Storm

(A/N): Oof, alright guys. Here's the next chapter of A Quest of Bravery. Sorry if it took a while, I've been kinda out of it these past few days. Originally, this chapter was going to include the content of the original Chapter 2, but I ended up writing enough content for the Wonderbolts practice that I just ended up making this its own chapter. That way I could at least give you an update while I fix some more plot for next chapter. You would not BELIEVE how tough it is to fix up these chapters with new and better ideas, but it's worth it when the finished product comes out. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

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~ Chapter 2 ~

Something About a Hail Storm

Interesting tidbit about myself, I almost always wake up late, so you can imagine how rushed I was to find my uniform and scoot on over to Wonderbolts HQ. I actually had to dress in uniform before I left my house, otherwise, it would've taken too long to get to the lockers and change there. After my hasty flight to practice, I located the asphalt runway where we always had our practice instruction lead by none other than Spitfire. Once I spotted the vibrant, multicolored mess that was Rainbow Dash's mane, I flew down to meet her.

"You actually showed up a bit late," she pointed out just as I came in for a smooth landing. "You got lucky, though. Spitfire isn't here yet for some reason, but if she was, your ass would be _pounded_."

I let out an overly dramatic gasp in response. "Rainbow Dash," I said, feigning shock, " _swearing_ in uniform? Where's your pride?"

"Aw, come on," she waved me off dismissively, "Spitfire ain't here to tell me off."

"Doesn't matter," I told her, puffing my chest out in dignity, "because _I_ will tell you off myself."

"Oh, Celestia," she grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"We are elite pegasi, some of the best of the best in Equestria, in fact." It only took five words for Rainbow Dash to achieve her I-could-care-less face. You know the one, it's a classic. "As such, we represent the public impression of the Wonderbolts, and not only during performances, either. We must hold ourselves accountable to achieve the professional Wonderbolt image," and just to make my point clear, I finished with strong emphasis, " _especially in uniform._ "

"Thanks, Twilight Sparkle, that was _exactly_ what I needed to hear today," Rainbow quipped dryly.

I flashed her a bright smile. "Happy to be of assistance." I stole a quick glance up to the sun, shielding my eyes with a hoof to block most of its rays. "Geez, it's bright out today." I set my hoof down, and the light that was previously blocked wasted no time assaulting my eyes. A tickling sensation grew in my nose, one that some of you may understand all too well. "Hold on a sec," I told Dash, scrunching my muzzle in discomfort. It didn't take long for me to sneeze, but let me tell you, it was _intense_. Photic sneeze reflex, look it up.

"Gesundheit," Rainbow said.

"It's a reflex," I replied, taking a moment to sniff. "I was gonna say something else... but I can't remember."

My eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, who stood with an amused look in her magenta eyes. "Good," she said. "I don't think I could listen to another speech."

"Dented your pride, eh?" I joked with her, and we shared a laugh. At that moment, I saw something flicker just beyond the lenses of her bright hues, something I couldn't quite place. Something that intrigued me, but a movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention away. Or rather some _pony_. "Oh, brother," I muttered underneath my breath, my smile fading quickly.

"Hey, Dash," a smooth male voice spoke. As annoying as the guy who invaded our conversation was, I enjoyed the new and hilariously startled look that crossed Rainbow's face when he spoke. That expression, too, is one of her classics.

Before even turning around, Rainbow let out a groan. "Hello, _Hailstone_ ," she greeted him bitterly, turning just slightly so she could peer over her shoulder to see him. Not like she wanted to, though.

Before we continue any further, you're probably in need of some answers. This stallion we're talking about here is Hailstone Storm, a fellow Wonderbolt. He's sort of tall and lithe for a guy, and he's pretty nice to look at, too. Mares fall left and right for him constantly, and I can't say that I blame them. His looks are nothing to sneeze at. He has a coat of steely blue (or a muted blue, if you need a better picture) and a messy mane of pale blue and white strands intermixed with each other. His cheeks are dappled with freckles of white, and his eyes shine with a blue as vibrant as a cloudless sky. His cutie mark (currently hidden by the full-body Wonderbolts uniform) is a chunk of ice－a hailstone if you will－with a tail of flaming orange and yellow, sort of like a comet.

Now, his looks are a plus to his package. However, his personality is not. Honestly, the guy's a major douche. You didn't hear it from me, though. To sum him up in a single sentence, he's shallow to the point where he dates for looks alone. The only ponies he knows legitimately are from his family. If that wasn't enough, he _knows_ he's so good looking that half the time he doesn't pay attention to anything else. He's also not the brightest crayon in the box, either. An abridged (keyword: abridged) list of reasons why Hailstone is downright unbearable to be around.

Can I get back to the story? Not before explaining one more important issue. See, Rainbow Dash and Hailstone Storm were once an item. Celestia forbid, I know. Long story short, he was hot, she was hot, Rainbow didn't really have standards, so they went for it. At least they tried to. That relationship was what knocked some sense into her, and once she figured out how toxic Hailstone was, she bailed instantly. The thing about breakups, though, is that some carry a certain form of unforgettable hatred. This was one of those cases. Hailstone: boom, hot, dumb, douchey. Perfect knob for Rainbow Dash to deflect.

And _now_ back to our regularly scheduled programming.

"Couldn't help but notice you standing here next to your…" Hailstone's bright eyes turned cold when they transferred to me, " _friend_." Did I mention he hates me for no reason? Yeah, I'm best friends with your ex. Got a problem with that?"And I must say your flank looks _very_ nice in this suit." I had to restrain myself from openly cringing at that remark.

I suppose I should have made something clear earlier. Small mistake on my part. Though it had been several months since their breakup at the time, Hailstone constantly tried to win Rainbow back in some manner. Usually, he tried through douchey compliments or pick up lines. Surprised? No? That's what I thought.

"Look, what do you want?" Dash asked him, clearly not in the mood to deal with his attitude. She never was.

"Hey, baby," Hailstone purred, "just wanted to see the _cutest_ mare with the _cutest_ flank here. That a crime?"

"It is if you go about it like _that_ ," I interjected, miming a vomiting motion with my hoof an earning a chuckle of approval from Rainbow. Hailstone, on the other hoof, was less than pleased. Just as he was taking a breath to retaliate, a sharp blast from a whistle interrupted him. He shot me a nasty glare before leaving us to stand beside his younger sister, Sunny Day. Don't know who she is or why she's important? Don't worry, we'll come back to her later.

Everypony formed a tight line formation just as a yellow pegasus with a blazing orange flamelike mane skidded to a halt on the runway in front of us, her shaded sunglasses masking her piercing dark orange eyes. "Sorry I'm late and out of uniform, Wonderbolts," she took a moment to apologize. "I had a meeting with an important public figure that ran a little later than I had expected, so today I'll just be coaching you."

 _That's strange,_ I thought to myself. _Spitfire's_ never _late, even if she has a meeting before practice. I wonder what the meeting was about to make it run so long?_

"Since I will not be able to fly and perform any drill with you today," Spitfire continued, "this practice is strictly for conditioning." She paused, most likely to have an excuse to punish some of the flyers if they were to groan, which none did. "Today we're starting off with partner laps, and since I'm feeling generous, I'll let you choose your partners." Rainbow Dash and I met each other's eyes instantly, nodding simultaneously to seal our partnership. "If you're not in pairs in the next ten seconds, everypony's doing five hundred wing ups. Get with your partners. NOW!"

At the sound of Spitfire's whistle, the tight line formation broke and formed pairs. In the ensuing chaos, Dash and I seemed the only two completely stationary. Left curious from the encounter with Hailstone earlier, I scanned the surrounding pegasi for any sign of him. It didn't take long for me to spot him, but what caught me off guard was that he was staring right back at me. His eyes reflected the utmost hatred and animosity, so much so that it overwhelmed me enough to get me to look away in the following split second. Who knew eyes of such bright and cheerful blue could also turn so malignant and frigid? Truth was I was terrified of Hailstone, afraid of what he would do to me if I set him off. I must've somehow vocalized this fear as Rainbow cast me a concerned eye.

"Something wrong, Sil?" she asked.

"Hailstone…" I started softly, my mouth turning dry, "just gave me the _dirtiest_ look I've ever seen."

She scoffed and mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch. "Don't worry, Sil," Rainbow reassured me. She nudged my shoulder lightheartedly and flashed a smile. "I've got your back." We held each other's gaze for a short and quiet moment after until the sting of Spitfire's whistle broke our trances.

"For your partner laps," Spitfire shouted out, "you'll each do fifty laps, which in total for your pair will equal one hundred." The vivid yellow pegasus began to pace in front of the pegasi as she continued prompting everypony on the day's warm-up, "One partner will start the first lap, then the second partner will do the lap after that. Partners will alternate laps until you each have done fifty. Once you and your partner have reached one hundred laps, your times will be recorded by one of our flight assistants standing off the course. I'll be standing with them in case any accidents occur, which I'm _sure_ there won't be any since you all are _professional_ and _elite_ flyers."

 _Well, for most of us anyway,_ I thought, not willing to risk mumbling it to myself out loud.

"Everypony to the course," Spitfire ordered and pointed her hoof to the flying track just off the runway. "On your way to the starting line, decide which one of you is going first out of your pairs. Once everypony is ready, the time will begin."

The Wonderbolts captain blasted her whistle once more, and all the pairs began to work their way to the course. I looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was eyeing Hailstone suspiciously like he had committed some sort of crime. Like giving me a spiteful glare counted as a crime.

"I'll go first if that's alright with you," she said finally after Hailstone was out of earshot.

"You can go first," I agreed. I gave Hailstone a quick glance to see if he was listening to our conversation before turning my attention back to Rainbow and asking, "You know, just because he hates me doesn't mean you have to put up an effort to protect me, right?"

I clearly triggered something in her as her face instantly flushed a bright, glaring red. "I…" she started, grasping for words, "I know that! It's just… if he's gonna give you a dirty look, I gotta give him one back."

"Why?" I asked with an amused smile.

I didn't think it was possible for her to blush a deeper shade of red. Boy, was I wrong. "B-because…" she stuttered but trailed off.

"I'm just messin' with ya, Dash," I teased, nudging her shoulder. I didn't think about it much at the time, but it was a little unusual for her to get so flustered, and around me of all ponies. If anything, I was maybe a _little_ puzzled. I mean, we _were_ best friends. What would she have to be nervous about?

As I started off to the track, Rainbow stood still for a moment longer. I heard her let out a weak laugh and soon after reply, "Right." We joined the rest of the Wonderbolts situated upon the track, preparing to begin laps.

"Are all teams ready?" Spitfire called from the inner oval of the track. A collective "yes, ma'am" rang out from the pegasi on the course, and Spitfire began the countdown to start.

"Good luck," I said to Rainbow in a hushed tone.

She scoffed coltishly and replied, "Like I need it." Seems she had gotten back to her old self just fine.

"You will," Sunny Day challenged, who lined herself up next to Rainbow Dash. There was a tongue-in-cheek edge to her tone as she added, "If you're gonna beat me." From the corner of my vision, I could have sworn I saw Sunny glance in my direction. What for I didn't know and, frankly, didn't want to ask.

"Oh, you're on," Rainbow Dash accepted her challenge, and Spitfire blasted her whistle to start the laps. The pegasi lined up at the starting line shot off onto the track, Sunny Day and Rainbow at the head of the group.

Anticipating Rainbow's arrival, I was getting ready to start my half of the partner laps when I glanced over at none other than Hailstone standing right beside me. Of course, my anxiety skyrocketed in that instant, but I noticed that he paid no attention to me but to Sunny and Rainbow. And by "Sunny and Rainbow" I mean just Rainbow Dash. I mean, it was pretty obvious. He had a solemn and dejected look in his eyes, pretty deep emotions for a guy with such a "fly" attitude, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. Hailstone still harbored feelings for Rainbow Dash that she no longer reciprocated. He was forced to relive this constant rejection as he never stopped trying to win her back, and oftentimes he would have to turn to his younger sister for support. It was a dead-end battle that he without a doubt knew by this point he would never win, and still, he kept on trying. I couldn't blame him for his effort; it seems deep inside that self-absorbed colt (and I mean _deep_ inside), there was a part of him that really did love Rainbow Dash with all his－

"Come on, Silver, you gotta _go_ ," Rainbow forced through grit teeth, shoving me forward and snapping me back into reality. "You just let Sunny and Hailstone get ahead!"

"Oh, sorry," I apologized hastily over my shoulder and zoomed off to catch up to Hailstone, which didn't prove all that much of a challenge. I passed him in a flash, and before I knew it I had already made it back to Dash in no time at all.

Without a word, Rainbow started her second of her half of the partner laps, leaving me behind to continue with my thoughts. What was I thinking about again? _Oh yeah,_ I remembered once Hailstone had finished his lap, _Hailstone._ Sunny Day zoomed off in a hurry upon his arrival, scowling back at him for slowing her quick progress. I always knew he had it coming for falling for a pony who actually learned from her life experiences.

It's a little disheartening he would never get the chance to learn from his own.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Practice had just ended and I had just changed out of my uniform in the Wonderbolts locker room, draping a towel over my shoulders happily. I was always in a good mood after taking off that constricting suit. Dash and I were about to head off together when we heard somepony shout out to us. More specifically to Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash," the pony called, and I watched her stop to take a peek behind her. I followed suit and saw Sunny Day standing off in a far corner of the room, a worried look plastered across her face as she waved the cyan pegasus over with a hoof.

I met Rainbow's gaze almost instinctively, trying not to look as anxious as I felt. She shrugged to me and trotted over to Sunny, who was kneading a hoof into the tiled ceramic floor. They spoke in low voices so nopony could easily hear them, and if you know me, you know that private conversations spark my anxiety.

I tried not to look impatient or uncomfortable as I waited for their conversation to finish, and after what felt like forever and a half, Rainbow made her way back to me. Her eyes were no longer the radiant hues I had come to know, but dark and clouded with foreboding. I waited until she was close enough to have a hushed conversation of our own.

"What did she say?" I asked, praying silently that it wasn't as bad as what her eyes made it seem to be.

Rainbow Dash took a moment to draw in a breath and release it in a sigh. "You'll have to go on without me," she said finally, her tone heavy as she avoided my gaze.

"What? Why?"

"Let's just say," she started, finally turning her steely eyes into mine, which sent a cold chill down my spine, "there's a hail storm coming my way."

* * *

Remember when I said I'd explain Sunny Day to you? That was before I decided to make the practice its own chapter. Next chapter, she will DEFINITELY be explained further. Hope you keep reading to find out who she is!


	4. Chapter 3 - Captured in Stained Glass

(A/N): Okay, I know what you're thinking: _This author's so inconsistent and will never update the story._ Blah, blah, blah. Yes, I admit my schedule gets all janky and I suddenly can't write, but I've had recent motivations to crank out as much as I possibly can. I'll just shut up and let you read because I personally feel like this is one of the better chapters. If you can also catch the super subtle reference to a certain video game franchise in the castle scene (oops, spoilers!), you deserve a cookie.

* * *

~ Chapter 3 ~

Captured in Stained Glass

I had returned back to my house and laid curled up on my bed, my eyes contemplative as I watched the light that sifted through the nearby bedroom window shift slowly across the floor. Deep inside, my mind raced with thoughts about what Rainbow Dash had said, the one thing I couldn't quite shake. " _Let's just say there's a hail storm coming my way."_ What had she meant by that? Well, I could only assume "hail storm" referred to Hailstone Storm. I mean, I'm not dense or anything, but what did the other parts mean? I didn't have much further to ponder this problem as I heard a soft knock at my front door. Meandering my way to the front entrance of my humble abode as much as I possibly could, I nudged the door open with a hoof to find－who'd've guessed?－the one and only Twilight Sparkle. What, who were you expecting, Rainbow Dash? That's funny.

"Silver Stream, I take it?" the princess asked, a little overly formal if you ask me. Oh, I'm not worthy enough to get even a slightly cordial greeting from the literal Princess of Friendship? I see how it is. I gave her a curt nod in reply, one that could be taken as paying respects to the royalty that stood at my doorstep. Let's just say that "respect" wasn't exactly what was going through my mind at that moment. "I'm here on orders by the Royal Sisters to accompany a small group of ponies to Canterlot. This is an extremely urgent matter, one which highly involves you, so I'm afraid your attendance is mandatory." Before I could so much as lift a hoof to reply, she finished, "We'll be leaving immediately, so don't worry about packing anything. It won't be a very extensive visit."

"I mean, sure, my mom could be lying on her deathbed in the hospital for all I know," I shrugged, "but I guess I can spare a trip to Canterlot. Why not?" Okay, my horrible attempt at humor wasn't _totally_ a lie. It's not like I really had any family that could be roaming around in limbo. At least, not that I was certain of, anyway, but that whole ordeal is for another day.

"Then if you would kindly follow me," the alicorn said, motioning for me to follow. I did so silently, closing the front door behind me. As we coasted down to the rolling meadow beneath my home, I noticed two ponies－both were pegasi－patiently awaiting our presence. The first I spotted was nowhere near familiar. She had a pale yellow coat, a mane of short, powdery blue curls framing her face nicely. Her eyes were a soothing pastel green that complimented her palette, and a large flower with petals of radiant white and magenta tips was perched atop the crook of her right ear. I had to admit she was rather small built for a pegasus, and I could only assume she was one of so many who preferred a different profession to flying.

The other pegasus I recognized immediately. I mean, I'd only known her for, what, my entire Wonderbolt career? "Sunny Day!" I called to her, setting her earlier exchange with Rainbow Dash in a far corner of my thoughts. "Long time, no see, eh?"

"Wow, you're _so_ hilarious, Silver," she deadpanned with a smirk. "My sides are bursting."

Remember in the chapter previous when I said we'd get around to Sunny Day later? Can you believe that now is "later," but in the sense that I was talking about "later" back then, so "later" is now the－never mind, let's just talk about Sunny Day. If ever you were trying to find her, she'd be pretty hard to miss with her glaring mane of orange and yellow waves, like the common interpretation of the sun's rays. She also keeps it pretty long, sometimes letting it reach the base of her hooves. Her coat is a soft cream white atop a muscular build, slightly more bulky than an average mare's frame. If you were to stick Sunny Day alongside her older brother, you'd probably never even guess they'd be related, what with one embodying the essence of sunshine and the other a cold, merciless ice storm. The only similarity they have in common (and any way to tell they're siblings) is their strikingly similar bright blue eyes. Strange how someone as likable as Sunny Day could be even remotely related to a dickwad like Hailstone. Sometimes I feel sorry for her.

"We'd best be on our way to the train station," Twilight informed us. "Flying is the most time-efficient option to get there, so let's take to the skies."

With that, we were airborne and on our way to the local station, which it seemed would be our means of traveling to Canterlot. Not like I was complaining. I was still a bit winded from the loads of conditioning from practice. "So," I cocked an eyebrow in curiosity at Sunny, "you're coming along for this 'extremely urgent matter?'"

"She told you that, too? I swear she had the whole introduction memorized. No greeting or anything!" I snickered at her comment. Good thing I was the only one who got the "high-and-mighty" treatment. "But, yeah, I guess so." Her expression turned serious as she continued, "I wonder what could've happened to call us to Canterlot."

"On orders of Celestia and Luna, no less," I added, my eyebrows knit in thought. "Maybe we did something to spark attention?"

"On a national level?" The cream-colored pegasus shook her head. "I highly doubt it."

"Still, you gotta wonder what's going on."

The two of us flew side by side in silence, taking a brief moment to conjure up explanations for our royal summons. For all we knew, we could be called on an expedition in search of Celestia knows what, but that couldn't _possibly_ be the reason…

Could it?

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Our meager group of four－well, it didn't seem so meager with an alicorn in our presence－had boarded our train to the capital city and were well on our way to whatever fate we were doomed to. Sunny Day had situated herself beside me and my train car window companion while Twilight and the one who had yet to be named occupied the seats across from us. During the first chunk of the ride, I took the time to reflect upon the previous night's dream as I gazed out at the landscape passing by. _Tomorrow, when the sun has reached its peak in the sky, the one known to many across the land as the Princess of Friendship will take the Destined Three to the capital city. These three will be informed of an important mission, a divine calling from beyond the mortal realm._ Well, we _were_ going to Canterlot accompanied by _the_ Princess of Friendship. At least that much was true, but what about this talk about the "Destined Three" and an "important mission?" What was that all about?

"Yo, Silver," Sunny directed her attention suddenly to me, "got somethin' on your mind?" I took my eyes away from the rolling, lush fields of green and occasional oak trees that lay beyond my reach to meet her eyes. "You look a little－"

"Bewildered? Lost? Dumbfounded? Completely and utterly stupid?" I asked in succession.

"No, not particularly," she answered.

Turning my dimming eyes back outside, I sighed and muttered, "Well, that's how I feel."

"I was gonna say you looked 'far away,' if that makes any sense," Sunny continued. "Usually that means you're thinking really deep."

I remained silent for a moment. "That's… _one_ way to describe it."

I was perceptive enough to catch that Sunny Day was curious to know what exactly I was pondering. The sort of beating around the bush manner of going about the conversation was a bit of a hint. Unfortunately for her, I wasn't in the mood to share any sort of information.

Thankfully, Twilight put an end to our conversation before another opportunity to fish for information could take root. "In the best interest of everypony here," she addressed the group, "I'd like for you to take this time to become acquainted with one another." After a slight hesitation, she also added, "And I'd like to apologize." The princess admitting she had done was at fault? My eyebrow slid upward in piqued interest. "If it were my decision, you three wouldn't be on this train, but by orders of Celestia and Luna, I'm afraid I had no choice." A bit more sheepishly, she continued, "And I'm sorry about the less-than-cordial first impression. I was told to be as objective as possible whilst chaperoning you to Canterlot." She paused. "… But that wouldn't be fair to you."

"'Fair?'" I echoed.

She didn't answer my question.

"Anyway, have you all met before under different circumstances?" the princess asked.

"No unfamiliar face here," Sunny piped up, nodding her head to myself and the pegasus I still didn't know. "How's it been, Dewy?"

"I've been fine, thank you," a voice even sweeter than the one I pictured passed through her lips, soft and easy.

"'Dewy?'" I repeated.

"Dewdrop Meadow," the pastel pegasus elaborated, then added with a gentle smile, "though Dewdrop is just fine."

"Too formal of a name, in her opinion," Sunny announced, "so she opts for her first only."

"It's just too… cumbersome for somepony to address my full name." Dewdrop shrugged. "I prefer not to inconvenience anypony." Ah, yes, because once a name extends beyond three syllables, it becomes just too much of a pain to enunciate. How lazy we've all become.

For a moment or two, I took the opportunity to study Dewdrop in a closer range. What I found mildly interesting was her demeanor, how her smile was more reserved, like she was hiding emotion that she wished to keep private from the rest of the world. Almost like she was… hurt in some way, or at least had been.

While I had been contemplating the mysteries that lie beyond the cover of Dewdrop's exterior, a separate conversation had sprouted that I didn't care to pay attention to, so I retreated into the corners of my mind to continue my thoughts on the previous night's dream. Like I hadn't done enough of it already.

"Canterlot Station," a sudden voice shattered my stream of thoughts. "All for Canterlot depart here." Were we there already? It felt like I had been in thought for about five minutes, but－

"Looks like that's us," Twilight said, motioning for the rest of us to follow her.

Now, I had only been to the prestigious Canterlot one time prior to this trip. That was for the Festival of Friendship, and you know how well _that_ event turned out. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I have PTSD from that entire ordeal, I'd just prefer not to revisit a place that reminds me I was locked in a cell for an indefinite amount of time. I assumed another visit would only resurface such memories, but I was _so_ wrong.

Witnessing the marvel of Canterlot in it's true, tyranny-free state was like a sort of cleanse to my memory. The glistening city was just as bright, cheerful, and elegant as it had been on that fateful day－well, _before_ the invasion, of course. It was a relief to see the capital thriving once more, almost as if the dreaded history of this place had been wiped clean. If only the same were true about my past memories.

We wove our way through the curving streets, passing by cafes, boutiques, more cafes, residential districts, more boutiques, another cafe… I was starting to see a pattern in the economic demand of Canterlot. In not much time at all, we stumbled upon the glimmering castle's courtyard, a wide lawn of neatly trimmed green grass intersected by several walkways of concrete or stone. The flowers lining the paths were in full bloom, an array of fantastic and vivid colors to accompany the grandiose aura of the palace that lay beyond. I was in awe.

"They sure fix up nice," I mumbled to myself.

Twilight allowed us a moment to bask in the glory of Canterlot Castle, a proud smile overtaking her face. Oh, right, she was originally from Canterlot, wasn't she? I think she was Princess Celestia's personal protégé at one point in time. No wonder she looked so pleased. "Well," she announced, "the castle awaits."

Leading us through the courtyard and through the enormous double doors marking the castle's entrance. The main corridor within was lined with colorful, expertly crafted windows of stained glass, each framing a crucial moment of Equestria's history. Many windows at the very beginning of the hall consisted mostly of the Royal Sisters, and soon the princesses merged into portrayals of six familiar ponies. Two earth ponies, two unicorns, two pegasi, and I recognized every one of them. _The Elements of Harmony_ , I confirmed in my head. Defeating Discord, bringing love and light back to the Crystal Empire (with a special appearance from Spike), Twilight's coronation as the Princess of Friendship, and everything that came beyond that. I could recall every single one of these events, but the window at the very end of the hall left me shocked and confused.

"This is the 'extremely urgent matter' I gathered you to see," Twilight addressed, motioning a wide, sweeping arc at the colored glass. The window in its entirety was noticeably larger than most of the others in the hall, and within its frame were depicted three ponies, all of them pegasi. The figure in the middle copied Sunny Day exactly, the one toward the right mirroring Dewdrop, and the one on the left looked like… _me._ Above each figure was an object of varying shape and color: an almost pure crystal white cloud above me, a soft green tear shape above Dewdrop, and a vibrant yellow sun above Sunny Day.

"And this is supposed to be… _us?"_ Dewdrop asked slowly, frozen still in utter disbelief before the window.

"Yes, it seems as if the three figures depicted in the window mimic every detail of your appearances perfectly," Twilight answered, studying the image herself. "Princess Celestia and Luna discovered this just a few days ago, so its existence is still young, but they say its significance to the fate of Equestria speaks volumes."

After an extensive pause of complete silence, Sunny Day decided to speak her mind. "Alright, Princess," she started in an almost challenging, aggressive tone, "you brought us here, so we've held up our end of the bargain."

"I don't recall there ever being a bargain－"

Twilight was cut short by another of Sunny's retorts. "Doesn't matter. We came here as per your orders, so you owe us some answers in return."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "Bargain or not, I'm _required_ to answer any of your questions."

The aggressive edge to Sunny's demeanor vanished. "Oh."

"If you're done badgering the princess, Sunny," I directed to my fellow Wonderbolt, then turned my gaze to Twilight, "I'd like to ask something."

"Please, the floor is open," the alicorn encouraged.

"Well basically, the long and short of it is…" I paused. "What does it all mean?"

"You want the whole story right away, huh?" Twilight replied. "You three are who the Royal Sisters believe represent the three lost Elements of Harmony that were destroyed long ago, and not even they know how these Elements were destroyed." Everypony went silent. "But it is highly probable that they have returned."

"'Highly probable?'" Dewdrop echoed.

"Indeed." Twilight turned her eyes to the stained glass window. "For one, the unforeseen appearance of _this_ masterpiece is a good sign, and if the princesses' suspicions are correct, they know the exact location of these Elements in the physical world." The look I found in her eyes when she turned back to us scared me a little. Kind of like when a teacher's trying to help you find something in one of those "spot the unorthodox list of hidden objects" exercises and she's almost _too_ excited for you to realize where the stupid baseball bat is along the fence. But the baseball bat doesn't exist because it's all the same dumb pattern and it's just a conspiracy so the little fillies and colts of today don't feel completely brainless trying to find a nonexistent bat. No, I'm not scarred from past experience, if that's what you're asking. "Take a look at the background of the image," Twilight told us with a gleam in her eye. "Tell me what you see."

We three pegasi each shifted our gaze to the window in silent study. The significance of the foreground was so compelling upon first glance that we didn't even notice the subtle pattern of varying browns and greens of the surrounding composition. "It looks like…" Sunny began, "a forest." And she wasn't wrong. Those were no doubt trees framing the pegasi－well, _us_ －in the window.

"The darker tones suggest a swamp or marsh biome," Dewdrop mentioned, soon glancing at Twilight for confirmation, "correct?"

"Yes, _exactly,"_ the princess affirmed. So Dewdrop was savvy with plants and nature stuff. In retrospect, it should've been obvious. I mean, _Dewdrop Meadow?_ Yeah. "Several years ago, before Nightmare Moon had been freed from imprisonment and purged of evil, Princess Celestia identified a powerful source of magic emerging from the southeast. She dedicated her time to pinpointing this source, and she revealed its location within the depths of the Hayseed Swamps. Back during this time, the magic was its early stages of cultivation which would someday lead way to the physical embodiment of the Elements of Harmony lost to time."

"And now they're, like… _real?"_ Sunny asked.

"Essentially."

"And they're, like… in a swamp?"

"That is correct."

"So somepony's gonna have to go get them, right?"

"Yep."

"So… who exactly would that be?"

"Well… _you,_ of course."

A collective silence fell over the group. "Excuse me?" I said.

"The Elements of Harmony respond to－and I speak from personal experience here－an emotional connection, one that can only be formed between the Element and its rightful 'spirit,' you could say. If anypony besides－well, as we're opting to call them the 'Destined Three'－try to make contact－"

"They _die?!"_ Sunny's cry boomed and echoed through the hall, her face horrified.

"Not quite," Twilight replied. "Since they wouldn't hold the connection to elicit a response… there would be no response. Nothing happens."

"Oh."

"Simply, it would prove fruitless to send any other pony to retrieve the Elements, so it must be you three to embark on a journey to find them."

I absorbed her words for a moment, recalling something that pricked at the corners of my memory. Something that sounded familiar. _Destined Three…_

"Hold it!" I shouted way louder than I meant to. "You… you mentioned something about a 'Destined Three?'"

"Oh, well," Twilight started, flashing a short glance to the image, "the name was derived from this window. It's just a term to refer to you three in a concise way."

"But doesn't it sound a bit…" Dewdrop trailed off. "Superior?"

"I don't think so," the princess replied. "If anything, it embodies your purpose quite well. For one, there's three of you, and you're all destined－by this window, I may add－" she motioned a hoof at the stained glass, "－to embark on a quest to find lost Elements of Harmony dwelling within swamplands." A grin spread across her face. "'Destined Three' sounds pretty accurate to me."

 _So the voice was right about the "Destined Three" thing, too,_ Silver commented to herself. _Then the "mission" must be this quest to find the lost Elements._

"So, in short," Sunny Day began her recap, "we're supposed to leave for an indefinite amount of time to the swamplands in search of Elements that have been gone for thousands upon thousands of years that－might I add－may or may not exist, but are highly likely to?"

"Sure, if you put it like that." Twilight nodded with a shrug.

The cream colored pegasus gave a dry chuckle. "Perfect. What could _possibly_ go wrong?"

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Before we knew it, we were all following Twilight's lead straight into the Everfree Forest. It had been a few hours or so since our visit to Canterlot Castle, so the sun was a little ways past its peak in the sky. With the princess leading the way, the other pegasi and I walked in an adjacent line behind her with Sunny in the middle, me to her left, and Dewdrop to her right. Never in my life had I ever set a single hoof near the Everfree, and now I was suddenly following Twilight's lead straight into it. I mean, I know it's just a superstition that the forest is haunted or lurking with creatures and the like, but I know for a _fact_ there are Timberwolves. I have a very reliable source.

"Okay, I get Canterlot Castle," Sunny Day voiced through the silence, "but _why_ the Everfree Forest, exactly?"

"There's something that lies beyond the Everfree that you need to see before you leave for the swamplands," the princess answered. The silence drew around us once more, and I tried _really_ hard－trust me, I did－not to question Twilight's sanity.

An uncomfortably close rustling of bushes and undergrowth a few yards into the treeline on my left, however, derailed my train of thought. I focused all my attention on locating the source of this noise, but it seemed to vanish just as mysteriously as it had come. It didn't stay that way. Just as I was beginning to relax again－well, as much as I _could_ relax, that is－I swore I heard a voice from within the forest, a voice low enough that I couldn't make out its speech. I _swear_ I heard a voice. Nopony else seemed to notice anything, though, blissfully unaware there maybe somepony lurking in the shadows to murder us all. The lucky saps. I couldn't help but wonder whose voice I had heard. If it was even a voice at all. Something didn't feel right about it, and some part of me knew it wasn't my imagination.

I tried to shake away these thoughts by asking the princess, "Where is this place you're taking us, anyway?"

"You'll find out when we get there," Twilight replied simply.

"You sure this is the right path?" Sunny asked almost immediately.

"It's really the only path," Twilight responded, turning her brilliant purple eyes back to our little "security line" with a warm smile. "Don't worry, I promise we'll be safe."

"I sure hope so," Dewdrop breathed, her voice just barely above a whisper. "This forest gives me the creeps."

As if on cue, I could almost feel a tangible presence lurking in the nearby bushes. Something was _there,_ and if I could just sneak away for a moment, I might see－

"The forest is thinning," Dewdrop pointed out, motioning a hoof to the surrounding trees and plant life bordering the path. Sure enough, the forest had gradually thinned out as we traveled along, and nopony had seemed to notice until this point. "We're nearing the edge of the biome."

"It's a sign that we're nearly there. Come on!" Twilight galloped ahead, and we followed suit behind her. Before I knew it, I emerged from the forest and skidded to a halt at the sight of the massive rift before me. I peered over my shoulder back into the depths of the Everfree Forest but saw nothing unusual standing out from the dense greens of the vegetation. Perhaps it was all in my head... until I caught the faintest glimpse of amber flash by just past the thickest leaves of the bushes and bracken. _Sweet Celestia…_

"Come on, Silver," Sunny Day called from the gorge's edge just before taking a leap of faith into its depths, disappearing from sight. Taking one last glance into the deep cloak of the Everfree, I turned swiftly to the gorge and rushed forth. Leaping from the precipice, I thrust my wings outward to catch the draft of wind within the rift, gliding smoothly down to meet the rest of the group.

"What held you up?" Twilight asked as I touched down upon the rough stone floor.

I suppressed the urge to spare another glance behind my trail in hopes the elusive amber would again show itself. "Nothing at all," I answered, giving a sigh and adding in a lower tone soon after, "Absolutely nothing."

"Only if you're sure," the princess said, pointing her hoof to a nearby opening in the wall of the gorge, "because _that's_ our destination."

Sunny groaned and let out an exasperated, "Finally!" before darting off into the mouth of the cave. I let out an amused scoff as the three of us remaining pursued her at a much slower rate into the cave.

"And here we are," the princess declared cheerfully as we all caught a glimpse of the wonder that lay before us, "the Tree of Harmony." I gaped with mouth ajar at the massive crystallized tree towering several times my size, five distinct branches draped in beautiful, shimmering vines, each holding one of the five simple Elements of Harmony: Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity, and Honesty. In the trunk's center, where the tree branched off to the other Elements, was Magic, Twilight's Element. The entire scene was innocent, otherworldly, utterly pure; part of me just couldn't believe it was actually real. _The Tree of Harmony._

"What's this all about, Twilight?" Dewdrop murmured gently, her soft eyes glittering in the tree's radiant light.

"What lies before you," the alicorn began, "is a sort of sanctuary for the original six Elements of Harmony. Upon the retrieval of your own Element, perhaps reuniting it with its kin, so to speak, would be the most logical thing to do."

I shifted my gaze back to the Tree of Harmony. "Bringing it back home," I restated.

"Exactly," Twilight nodded with a smile of approval.

A fire sparked in my chest, one I had forgotten existed until that very moment. A fire so familiar that its awakening nearly shocked me…

And I kinda liked it.

* * *

There is your Chapter 3, folks. Did you catch the reference? Maybe? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, I'm just a nerd and it was honestly a coincidence that it happened in the first place, but I ended up making it a tiny reference. Stay tuned for the further development of Silver's adventure!


	5. Chapter 4 - A Spit-Fiery Encounter

(A/N): Alright, I'm back again! And hopefully for good. Sorry for the shorter than usual chapter, it just felt better to separate this segment from the following segment as they're a few days apart and I didn't want to have too many time skips in one chapter. It's just a way to get content out there before I start revising the next segment. This chapter is actually entirely new content not found in the previous version of this series, so that's something new. Anyway, I'll attempt to make updates at least weekly for the rest of the summer to get the series rolling again. Hope you enjoy the newest chapter!

* * *

~ Chapter 4 ~

A Spit-Fiery Encounter

From the Everfree Forest, we all just went our separate ways, mine being the route to the friendly neighborhood tavern. I didn't have any plans to converse, though (a certain bartender was busy with an evening rush, anyhow). I couldn't have struck up conversation even if I'd wanted to. Instead, I had to set a few things straight as I nursed a root beer float. A _virgin_ root beer float, which is probably why Chuck left me alone during my visit. He knows I only order non-alcoholic beverages when I'm about to do some deep thinking. Swell guy, that one.

First of all, there was somepony camping out in my head. Well, I wasn't so sure about the "camping out" part, but an unknown party certainly had a means of communicating with me. The only method I knew at the time was through my dreams, but that didn't mean there couldn't be other ways.

Second, this "midnight messenger" was a sort of prophet, foretelling important details that would soon happen in my life. And they were always true, at least from the events of the last 24 hours. A prophet whose identity was still a mystery. I contemplated the possibility of this voice being Princess Luna; I mean, she's kinda known for her ability to enter and flow between dreams, not to mention she's guided several ponies in need of advice through their dreams as well, but that didn't sit right with me. Why would she conceal herself from me, in that case? It just didn't seem to make much sense, so I denied that the voice could belong to Princess Luna, but that brought me back to square one: Who was this mysterious figure?

There was also the truth that I was part of some chosen trio called on a quest to find some Elements of Harmony supposedly lost to time. How in the world can Elements even be "lost?" How does that make any sense? What, did they just take a rain check on the family reunion up until now? Whatever the case was, they were back by some force, and for whatever reason, _I_ of all ponies was destined to claim one. Bull-honky.

Eventually, I had finished up my float and was out the door on the way back home when I remembered something. I was _leaving_ , as in _going away for an indefinite amount of time._ What was I gonna say to Rainbow Dash? What was I going to do about my responsibilities as a Wonderbolt? My literal _job._ And Sunny's, too, so Spitfire would be down two of her best performers. She was going to kill us.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Silver, what the _hell_ are you doing at my house so early on a Saturday morning?"

There I stood at the doorstep of my coworker's house at 6:37 a.m. the following morning. Why, you may ask?

"Look, I know you're about three-and-a-half seconds from pounding me into the ground," I started, "but we have something we need to take care of, like, _today_."

Her eyes were cold and unblinking, squinted in what I could only assume was one of the purest forms of hatred. "' _We_?'" she questioned.

"No, Simon and Garfunkel," I deadpanned sarcastically. "Yes, ' _we_ ,' who do you think?"

"I dunno, Sil, I just－" She cut herself off with a frustrated groan. "What exactly is it you need me for?"

"We need to head over to HQ and talk to－"

"Look, whatever it is you have to do, can't you do it yourself?"

I let out a forced laugh. "As _hilarious_ as you're being this morning," I muttered through grit teeth, "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation."

I saw an eyebrow slide up in skepticism. "No offense, but _I_ think you're being a bit dramatic－"

"Sunny, your job, my job, _our_ jobs are on the line if we leave town without explaining anything and everything to Spitfire!"

It only took a moment for my words to register, and Sunny's eyes widened in terror. She proceeded to slam her front door in my face, bursting back out five seconds after with her long mane tied into a messy knot. "Let's get this over with before I change my mind and chicken out," she said, her expression grim as we both took flight toward Wonderbolt HQ.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"So, what's our plan of attack?" I asked Sunny upon our near arrival. We only had about five minutes before we'd waltz up to Spitfire's office at HQ and announce our indefinite leave of absence. And pray to Celestia our lives would be spared in the process.

Sunny gave me a look as if I'd said something in another language. "Beg your pardon?"

I sighed. " _What are we going to say to Spitfire_?" I asked her, slowly and carefully enunciating each word like I really had spoken in a foreign tongue.

She merely shrugged. "I dunno, something like we're gonna be gone for a while."

I sputtered a series of incoherent scoffs in protest. "But this is _Spitfire_ we're talking about!"

"So?"

" _So_ , we have to be as clear and concise as possible."

Sunny furrowed her brows. "I think if we just explain to her what's going on, we'll be fine."

"Gee, Sunny, you sure turned optimistic since we left your house," I deadpanned.

"I really don't see the problem," she admitted. "Lots of others do this sort of thing all the time. Why can't we?"

As our conversation continued, we arrived at our destination and were already making our way to Spitfire's office. "I think the problem is that usually most ponies know _how long_ they'll be gone for," I said pointedly. "There's literally no telling how long we'll be gone, if even we come back at all."

"You really think we're not capable of surviving a while in some swamp?"

"I _really think_ we should go about this meeting carefully instead of just yammering like a couple of bumbling idiots!"

"What's this talk about a couple of idiots?" Sunny and I snapped our attention to the voice before us. Apparently, we had meandered all the way to the door of Spitfire's office without even realizing it. There stood Spitfire, peering at us over the dark lenses of her sunglasses. We must have been arguing loud enough for her to notice we'd arrived.

"Uuuhhhhh…" we vocalized in an awkward chorus.

Spitfire let out an exasperated sigh. "Just get in here," she ordered, and we followed behind without a word. Our captain took a seat behind her desk, and I could nearly feel the temperature in the room drop a good few degrees. Or maybe it got warmer? Either way, the feeling wasn't good. "Alright, what's the deal?"

I exchanged a glance with Sunny, who motioned for me to speak. I rolled my eyes. "Spitfire, if I may cut to the chase," I started, choosing my words carefully, "Sunny and I are here to announce our… indefinite leave of absence."

Spitfire seemed to be processing my words, silently contemplating. "Your indefinite leave of absence," she repeated slowly, meticulously, nodding her head as she did so.

"Um, yep," I replied just to prolong the inevitable silence. That painfully bittersweet silence where Spitfire thankfully wasn't chewing us out but was silently judging us instead. Oh, joy.

"Tell me, then," the yellow pegasus started, setting her dark glasses aside as she gazed at us with her intense hues, " _why_ are you taking a leave of absence?"

"Well…"

"The lost Elements of Harmony have resurfaced in a swamp and Silver and I are two of the three who possess one because Princess Twilight showed us a stained glass window that said so," Sunny blurted out.

"Sunny!" I hissed beneath my breath. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"Sorry, the suspense was killing me," she whispered back with an apologetic grin plastered on her face.

Spitfire watched us with cold eyes as we stared back in some twisted form of a staring contest. An evil, deathly staring contest... until her serious demeanor faded when she let out a laugh at our exchange. "It's alright, you two," she said with an amused smirk. "I heard the same thing from the princess herself. More or less."

Sunny and I offered the Wonderbolt captain utterly stupefied expressions.

"Ex-squeeze me?" Sunny asked.

"'Princess' as in _Princess Twilight_?" I questioned.

"Bingo," Spitfire confirmed with a clever wink. "To tell you the truth, that was the meeting that made me late for yesterday's practice."

 _Yesterday's practice…_

My eyes widened. _That_ was the "important public figure" Spitfire mentioned during practice. Princess Twilight personally announced our leave of absence before we even knew about it. _How nice of her to inform us,_ I commented sarcastically to myself.

"So… she's told you everything?" I asked.

The captain nodded silently, her flaming mane bobbing along with her motion. "I'll be at a slight disadvantage losing two fliers," she conceded, eyeing us with a gleam of confidence in her orange hues, "but I've got faith you two'll conquer that swamp."

"Well, actually, we're not really _conquering_ the－"

I promptly slapped my hoof over Sunny's noisy mouth. " _Thank you_ for your time, Captain," I interrupted. "We'll be off now, bye!"

Spitfire merely shrugged as we proceeded to excuse ourselves from her presence. As soon as her office door shut with a satisfying _click_ behind us, I checked my pulse.

 _Still beating_ , I verified with a relieved sigh. _Thank Celestia._

* * *

Very _very_ short chapter, so I'm gonna apologize for that. It's a little under 2,000 words, which is a little embarrassing to say the least, but I wanted to get _something_ out there, maybe something a little more lighthearted before the series starts to turn a little darker. Come back soon for more chapters and the continuation of the series!


	6. Chapter 5 - The Journey Begins

(A/N): For those who actually like life sciences, I envy you. Over the past three years of my days in high school, I've taken both choir and band as two separate periods because I genuinely enjoy music, but that's eight whole periods over four years of high school I could've used for stuff like math-based science or actual math or other interests. I have to take Biology A and B over the summer, and I've already finished Bio A, but it sucks. Like a lot. Sorry that was a weird tangent but life sciences don't make any sense to me and I didn't want to waste my time taking AP Bio when I could take AP Calc instead and actually learn something. Anyway, here's the latest chapter of the Lost Elements, which marks the start of Silver's journey. Didn't take very long to make, so I'm gonna try getting more chapters out soon and continue the plot.

Quick suggestion: If you want feels while reading this chapter, look up Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Friendship on YouTube and put it on a loop when Silver says her goodbyes to Rainbow Dash at the train station. In fact, just continue to play the song through the end of the chapter. It's just that good. Perfect song for a goodbye scene, I promise you won't be disappointed. (Home Sweet Home from Earthbound works too!)

* * *

~ Chapter 5 ~

The Journey Begins

The following few days of my time left in Ponyville were spent visiting those I cared about most, which wasn't a lot of ponies, to be honest. In truth, the only ponies I had the heart to tell were my best friend and the friendly neighborhood barkeep. I still can't decide which one was more painful, especially since I had to break the news to Chuck during his foal shower/welcoming home party. I mean, good on him and everything, but I didn't have the emotional energy to expend any more time than a couple of minutes after the encounter with Spitfire I had just that same morning. The foals were cute, though, so that made me feel a little better.

Of course, I brought the subject up to Rainbow Dash soon after. Let's just say she didn't take it as well as Chuck did, and she needed time to adjust to my inevitable absence. Alas, the few days remaining before my departure continued to pass like sands through an hourglass, but it wasn't enough time for her to truly grasp how soon I was leaving. In the blink of an eye, the day of my parting arrived.

"So… you leave _today_ ," Rainbow Dash acknowledged awkwardly. "That's fun."

"Yep," I replied. I had invited her over to accompany me and the others to the train station. If they would arrive on time, that is. I could at least offer her that much to join me until the very end.

Uncomfortable with the silence, Rainbow just kinda seemed to take an interest in everything but me, avoiding my gaze and my entire being altogether. She was taking the entire situation pretty hard.

"So, um," I started uncertainly, "you'll watch the place, right?"

At last, Rainbow turned to me with confused eyes. "Huh?"

"You'll watch my house for me," I elaborated. "I know it's just a lot of plants and stuff, but…" I flashed her a soft smile, "I trust you."

Her eyes widened at those words. Maybe her face tinted the softest shade of red, too, but I can't be too certain about that. "Yeah, sure," she replied softly after a lengthy silence. "I can do that."

"Hey, maybe you can get Fluttershy to help and keep you company?" I suggested. "I wouldn't mind her helping you out."

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine," Rainbow replied absentmindedly.

I could tell her mind had wandered elsewhere, so I gave up trying to distract her. There wasn't much I could do about it, anyway, but that was part of why this wait hurt so much. I couldn't do _anything_ to make Dash feel better. What good was I to just stand around in her time of need and ignore her struggle? Some best friend I was.

"Actually, Silver," the cyan pegasus spoke, "there's… something I've been meaning to run by you."

"Oh?" I replied, an eyebrow arched.

"It's… kinda hard to put into words, but－"

A knock sounded at my front door, and I audibly swallowed. "That's the princess calling," I interrupted without a moment's hesitation. As I passed by Rainbow on my way to answer the door, I never truly realized how much pain she concealed behind those bright magenta hues until it was too late. That's a story for another time, though.

I opened my door to be greeted by－again, who'd've guessed?－Twilight Sparkle flanked on either side by Dewdrop and Sunny Day. She simply smiled and nodded her head to me. "It's time, Silver."

I returned her nod with one of my own, my visage neutral. Funny, I would've thought I'd be a bit more expressive at such a consequential moment in my life. "Let's do this."

As I ushered Rainbow to exit before me, I had a sudden afterthought. "I need to take care of one little thing," I explained to the princess before promptly closing the door. If I really was going to be gone for some unknown amount of time, I didn't want to leave home without a certain something to sneak along with me. I rushed up to my room in search of the object in question, which just so happened to be resting atop the nearby nightstand. A napkin.

 _The essential is invisible to the eye; it is only with the heart that one sees rightly._

Chuck's words of wisdom to me. Something to think about over the course of my quest and, most importantly, something to remember him by while I was away. After a short pause, I tucked the note swiftly under my wing. _Here's to hoping, Chuck._

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

From my humble abode, our little posse soon arrived at the foot of the Castle of Friendship in all of its crystalized glory. Twilight had explained during our field trip to Canterlot that she would handle preparations for the journey, including transportation, rations, and other such necessities all packed up into a neat little saddlebag. "One for each of the Destined Three" were her exact words if I recall. How fitting for Twilight to organize our expedition for us. Hey, I wasn't complaining.

As the princess embarked into the depths of her shimmering palace, the rest of us were left to wait for her return. That left me with a small window of time to think. Sure, I felt better about this quest thing than I did before, but I still couldn't piece the entire puzzle together. I had already given the subject some thought, but the swamplands seemed completely unrelated to anything the Elements of Harmony represented. There was no viable reason for them to be there, at least I thought so at the time. None of it was adding up.

"What's on your mind, Sil?" a voice echoed through my thoughts, snapping me out of my trance. I didn't need to spare a glance to know it was Dash who approached me, though.

"Nothing much," I answered blankly. "Why?"

She answered with a shrug in return. "I saw you spacing out and I just kinda wanna know what's up, I guess."

I blew a few stray tufts of my blonde mane aside, momentarily debating whether or not I could reveal any of my thoughts to Rainbow. It wasn't like she was unaware of what was happening anymore, and I could never recall the mysterious voice in my dreams specifically informing me to keep its existence a secret. I continued to weigh my options for a few moments, though the obvious choice was staring me right in the muzzle. Literally.

 _…_

 _For now, it would be best to keep these thoughts from her._ _Not until you truly understand can you say anything._

 _…_

I blinked in shock. _Who was that?_ I questioned internally, though some part of me knew it was from something intangible. It was a voice unlike any I'd ever heard in my thoughts, yet it felt strangely familiar, too.

"Uh, ground control to Silver?" Rainbow said, waving her hoof at me to catch my attention.

I stammered a string of incoherent mumbles for a moment until I could grasp the concept of speech. "Sorry, what did you want?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in mild frustration. "Look, sometimes I just wanna see how you're holding up. Leaving home for a while can be stressful, believe me, but if you just want to ignore me instead, that's cool too."

I recoiled slightly back in shock. Did I hear her right? "Sorry, I was just thinking for a while," I told her, a small edge present in my tone. "I didn't mean to ignore you."

"Yeah, that's fine," she replied curtly.

An unfamiliar feeling lingered between us as the silence fell. Tension. Something I was never supposed to feel around my best friend. Today was starting to turn into a trainwreck of failed attempts to interact with Dash.

I let out a sigh. Part of me knew it wasn't right to leave the conversation at that, but the other part of me didn't want to make the situation worse, so both parts of me opted to just keep our collective trap shut until Twilight showed up with the supplies. That time couldn't have come soon enough.

Eventually, the princess emerged from the castle levitating three generic brown saddlebags encased in a sparkling magenta aura. "Sorry for the wait," she apologized. I soon felt a weight drop and settle on my back and sides as Twilight distributed the saddlebags.

A puff of discomfort escaped Dewdrop's mouth. "Wow," she murmured, her figure slumping a bit under the weight of the saddlebag, "very… _generous_."

"Just making sure everypony is prepared," the princess remarked.

"S'alright, Dewy," Sunny Day said, nudging the small pegasus with her shoulder. "When we board the train, I can take some of your load off you if you'd like."

"I would, thank you," the pastel pegasus replied, a grateful and marginally strained smile passing over her lips.

"Are we ready to depart?" Twilight asked the group, who was met with a series of positive affirmations. And off we went.

The trek to Ponyville Station didn't necessarily take that long. It was just uneventful. A few measly conversations here and there was all that really happened. Nothing too special really, and before anypony knew it, the train station loomed before us. A gateway to a thrilling adventure full of life-changing experiences and action. At least that's what I kept telling myself, anyway.

In no time at all, we found ourselves standing upon the platform behind the station with a few other miscellaneous faces that would be hitching the same ride. "Time for a briefing," Twilight announced with a smile.

"Oh, joy, a _briefing_ ," Sunny quipped, her voice altering in a minor form of mockery.

"I'm afraid so," the alicorn replied with a lighthearted grin. "Just a quick packing list is all, so this shouldn't take too long. First, you'll find your round trip tickets in the left pouch of your saddlebags along with a blanket, basic first aid, and a detailed map of the swamps for your expedition. If there's ever a need, I've also provided a few utensils for marking these maps, but that's all entirely up to you. The right pouch has been utilized for water and rations, and believe me I packed a _lot_ of each, so there's no reason to fear any potential shortage. Any questions?"

"Nah, sounds like you had everything on lock," Sunny answered. "I think we'll be fine."

Twilight nodded. "I'll be eagerly awaiting your return. You're welcome to drop by the castle anytime."

With the meeting finished, there was still a short time left for idling about. I still couldn't believe it. In a few mere minutes, I would be saying goodbye to my home. Well, not _goodbye_ goodbye, but the moment still felt surreal. These past few days had all just been some crazy, cryptic dream, right? None of this was actually _real_ , right? _Right_?

I couldn't help but turn to Rainbow Dash. Her expression was hard to read, but it lingered on the edge of unease. Of course it did. The real question was whether or not I was going to comfort her. At least talk to her one last time before leaving. Thankfully, I made the right choice.

Taking a breath, I stepped up to her. "Look, I know things haven't been the best between us today," I started calmly, "but I can't just leave knowing there was something I could've done to fix it."

After a few moments of hesitation, she met my eyes. A faint glimmer shone in them for the shortest of moments, and she smiled. "Fix what?" she joked. "There's nothing to fix."

"I－wuh－ _huh_?" I stammered. "But you were upset with me earlier."

"Psh, yeah, 'cause I was being an idiot," she replied. "This whole 'adventure' thing is new to you, and when something is new to you, you like to cope with it by psychoanalyzing literally _everything_ about yourself to see if there's something wrong with your brain."

I let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, well, the inner machinations of my mind are an enigma."

"Yeah, right," Rainbow chuckled along with me, and I was content with that for the moment. This was what I was used to. Just a couple of pals taking a second to forget every care in the world and laugh. Boy, was I gonna miss this.

"Hey, listen," I said after a short pause, drawing Rainbow's magenta eyes to mine, "I just wanna say that no matter how long it takes, I'll come back someday. I'll crawl out of the deepest marsh if that's what it takes, and I'll find my way back to Ponyville, to my home…" My lips curled into a gentle smile as I nodded my head at her. "To you."

"To… _me_?" she repeated to herself softly, but I could just barely catch it. I couldn't suppress the small warmth that blossomed in my chest as her eyes gleamed with her trademark confidence and brashness. "I know you'll come back, Silver," she stated firmly, a wide smirk drawing across her face. "I'd never see a reason why you couldn't. You deserve this more than anypony else in Equestria, and you'll do us all proud." As hot tears threatened to escape my eyes, she added with a slight tenderness, "You'll do _me_ proud."

And there went the waterworks. All I could muster was an idiotic smile as my eyes brimmed over with tears that rolled silently down my cheeks. I soon leaped forward and encased my best friend in a tight embrace, feeling her own hooves wrap around me in return. I was always a sucker for sappy moments like this, but I couldn't help it. Rainbow Dash was and always will be my closest friend no matter what. Sure, it was tough to say goodbye, but the fact that she had faith in me was all I needed. That sudden realization couldn't have come a moment too soon.

The deafening howl of a train whistle finally drew our sap fest to a close. _Our ticket to destiny_ , I thought as adrenaline coursed through my veins. A train pulled up to the platform, its brakes squealing uncomfortably as the massive machine came to a stop.

"Dodge Junction!" the conductor hollered out. "All for Dodge Junction board here!"

"Dodge Junction?" I echoed aloud. "That sounds familiar."

"I'm sure Rainbow's told you about some of her misadventures in Dodge," Twilight Sparkle mentioned with a playful spark dancing in her violet eyes.

My eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah," I confirmed, "with the cherry orchard and hunting Applejack down 'cause she broke a Pinkie promise. Right."

Twilight flashed a knowing smile. "Well, Dodge Junction is the closest destination the train tracks lead to the Hayseed Swamps," she explained, then tipped her head to the train. "Better hop on before it leaves."

I nodded but hesitated to follow up. Instead, I turned my eyes to Rainbow Dash. "I'll see you around," I said softly.

She smirked, flashing me a wink. "One day." A pause lingered in the air before she finished, "Go get 'em, Sil."

With one last fleeting glance, I turned away. Taking a deep breath to calm my escalating nerves, I marched forth towards the train. I didn't hesitate to climb through the open doors of the nearby compartment, soon spotting Sunny Day and Dewdrop already inside and conversing like pals. I took a moment to settle my bags near their collective pile and breathe an easy sigh. _Maybe this won't be so bad._

"Dodge Junction!" I heard the conductor holler from the platform's edge once more. "Train leaving momentarily! All aboard that's coming aboard!"

Another rush of adrenaline coursed through me like a tidal wave. _This is it_ , I thought, trying to stay calm. I gazed out at the station platform through a nearby window. Unable to overcome my curiosity, I made my way over to it and stared out at the few ponies gathered around to see the train off. I spotted Twilight and Dash instantly and waved a hoof to them in the hopes of catching their attention. They both turned their eyes to my form and smiled.

"Don't stay away too long!" the princess called out to me.

"I'll miss you!" Rainbow Dash followed suit, her magenta hues gleaming with hope.

I broke into a stupid grin. "I'll miss you, too!"

Just then, the train made a sudden lurch forward, throwing me off balance. As the train gradually began to pull away from the platform, I recovered my center of gravity and spared one last look out onto the platform. I waved my hoof to Rainbow and Twilight as one last parting farewell. They both waved back as the train gained speed and broke away from the station platform for good. It chugged humbly along its set tracks that would lead Sunny, Dewdrop, and I to Dodge Junction. That was where our quest would truly begin.


	7. Chapter 6 - A Day in Dodge

(A/N): Well, it's July I guess. Halfway through another year already. Hard to believe. Well, I've been writing out chapters like mad lately, and it just so happens I have the next one done. This'll probably the last chapter with reused content from my old book because the chapter known as "Non-Six-ical Sense" will definitely _not_ be making an appearance in this book. That chapter was crazy stupid on my part and I want to forget it ever happened. And without further ado, I present to you "A Day in Dodge."

* * *

~ Chapter 6 ~

A Day in Dodge

After a long train ride across great lengths of territory, our intrepid trio departed the locomotive and set hoof upon the modest station platform before us. If I'll be honest, the sight of the old town seemed to bring out the lesser-known side of me, the part with a secret affinity for simple and traditional ways of life. I'm nowhere near strong-willed enough to be able to survive out in the country, though, so I like to admire from a distance. To this day, I still haven't figured out how Applejack is able to pull it off.

"So, what's our plan?" I asked the other two as they eyed the smallish town enthusiastically.

"Well, if I may make a suggestion," Dewdrop began, her voice soft, "I thought it would be nice to spend _one_ more day to really prepare for this mission, and what better place to do it than here?" Her lips curved into a timid smile as her gentle green eyes shone hopefully. I had to admit that she had a valid point, and it wasn't like I was completely _dying_ to throw myself into a swamp. Where anything could probably kill me.

"It's really more like we don't have any other option than here," I corrected her, "but I see your point." I took a second to observe the sun's slow descent to the western horizon and figured the group would make greater progress in the morning. And with an actual expedition plan. "I guess we're staying the night."

"Awesome," Sunny Day said with an easy smile. Her lips tilted into an awkward line the next moment. "But what is there to do?"

Dewdrop gazed out from the platform eagerly. "We could…" she started with a smile that continued to falter, "no, that's not… anything we could do… Oh, how about we… wait, no… Hey, there's a… um…" She finally turned to me with a wide grin. "Do you know if there's anything for us to do, Silver?"

I knew Rainbow Dash had been to Dodge before with her friends. What did they do here, again? I didn't remember it being the town of the century or anything.

"There's a cherry farm around here," I answered, tipping my head to the north. "I don't remember the pony who runs the joint, though. Probably something to do with cherries."

"Let's drop by, then," Sunny suggested, trading an expectant glance with Dewdrop. "I'll bet you a bit and a half they'll have food there."

"Okay, one," I interjected, "there's no such thing as 'half bits,' so your bet is illogical already. Two, Twilight already packed us plenty of rations, so collecting more food would be unnecessary. Three, I'm a thousand percent sure we weren't packed with any bits 'cause we're going to, you know, a _swamp_ , so how could we pay for anything we'd want to－?" I cut myself off mid-sentence. Sunny and Dewdrop had already left without me to the cherry farm up north. They just left me all on my lonesome.

"Sure, that's fine, _leave without me_ , why don't you?" I muttered to nopony in particular.

" _It's okay, Sil. You got_ me, _don't you_?" I assured myself in a character voice.

"You're right, I _do_ have you, now don't I?" I agreed, nodding to myself with a content smile. Yeah, I like to talk to myself when I'm bored. It's not weird. "What would I ever do without you?"

" _Realize that you're lonely when you don't give your inner mechanisms stupid voices to keep you company?"_

"I now fully regret making you the blunt one," I grumbled, hopping off the platform and taking a sharp turn to the north to catch up with my two companions.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Once I'd caught up with the others, it wasn't long before we arrived at the heart of the orchard, a tall red barn standing proudly before us. We were surrounded by countless expanses of breathtaking cherry trees, their blossoming pink petals catching the gleaming light of the slowly descending sun beautifully. A sort of calm before the storm, if you want to think of it like that.

"I told you there'd be food here," Sunny Day broke the peaceful silence boldly. "And you didn't believe me."

"Well, it's not that I didn't _believe_ you," I corrected her. "It's that this is a _cherry_ orchard. You know, with _cherries_?"

"I was still right, though," the creamy pegasus argued, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Sure," I rolled my eyes pointedly, "you just keep telling yourself that, sunshine." I glanced over to Dewdrop to notice her observing the barn with attentive eyes. "A bit for your thoughts, Dewy?"

"Oh, um," she shifted her gaze to me as a gentle blush heated her cheeks, "I was wondering where the landowner is. You can't run a farm without an operator, after all."

"Excellent point," I acknowledged with a grin. "Mayhaps we should go up and check?"

"You don't have to," a voice called out from behind us. Our little bunch altered to find a pony trotting up the path towards us. She was an earth pony, a beautiful one, at that. Her pale beige coat seemed to almost glimmer in the mid-afternoon light, a beauty mark resting just beside her left eye. A pair of vivid green hues gazed at us from beneath long lashes and a fair shade of pink eyeshadow. Her deep red mane of elegant curls was brought up into a beehive/ponytail combo wrapped with a cherry-patterned cloth, and around her neck was tied a delicate pink neckerchief. Yessiree, this mare fit the western maiden picture quite perfectly.

"Have we caught you at a bad time, ma'am?" I asked the mare, an eyebrow raised in what could be interpreted as moderate interest.

"There ain't ever a bad time in this orchard," she replied in a thick country accent, flashing us a wink. "What can I do ya for?"

"Well, you could call us－" I traded a glance with my group, "－ _travelers_ , in a sense, and we thought it would be nice to catch a glimpse of this orchard as we passed by. You see, I heard about it from a friend, and－"

"No need to say more, little filly," the mare stopped me mid-sentence. She continued with an easygoing smile, "Such long explanations don't see the time'a day in these parts. You look like the honest type, anyhow."

At least she was giving us the benefit of the doubt. "Right," I mumbled, trying to offer the mare a friendly smile, "and who exactly are you?"

"Glad you asked," she said, taking a hoof to her chest in unmasked pride. "I'm Cherry Jubilee, owner and operator of Cherry Hill Ranch, this here beautiful farm."

"So you run this joint?" Sunny blurted, then let out a melodramatic sigh. "About time. I'm starving! Where's the food?"

"Sunny," Dewdrop hushed her, "temper yourself."

"But I'm hungry!" the cream white pegasus whined. My eye twitched.

I jumped in surprise when Ms. Jubilee let out a holler of a laugh. I'm pretty sure she triggered an earthquake somewhere in Equestria, too. "Well, ain't that just the cat's meow?" she whooped. "If it's vittles you're lookin' for, I can happily provide."

"While that's awfully generous of you," I cut in before Sunny could agree, "we'll have to kindly decline. I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to pay for anything you have to－"

"Screw that, I need food!" Sunny exploded, stamping her hooves into the dirt.

I whipped my head around to shoot her a cold glare. "May I remind you we have absolutely no budget to spend on _luxuries_?"

"Now, now, don't be gettin' your tail in a twist," Jubilee intervened, meandering past us. "If it's eats you want, it's eats you'll get."

Sunny's face lit up to its usual glow, but I couldn't help the stubbornness I harbored to back my own argument. "But we don't have any bits to－"

"Fiddle-faddle!" the orcharder silenced me, her cheery visage contorting quickly into a stern scowl. "I don't care if y'all're poorer than a sack'a beans. Y'all're passerby, an' it don't matter to me if ya got the dough ta pay or not."

Our group fell into a collective silence. I was trying to fathom any of the words that tumbled out of her mouth. _'Poorer than a sack of beans?'_ I repeated silently. _What?_

"So," Sunny Day started slowly, "we can have free food?"

"'Course you can!" Jubilee answered, her friendly grin returning faster than I could blink. Yep, that was enough to sway my judgment. Cherry Jubilee was insane.

"Oh, cool," Sunny said, splitting off from Dewdrop and I to trail Jubilee to the barn door. I exchanged an incredulous sideways glance with Dewdrop, who merely shrugged and nodded to the barn. Heaving an enormous sigh, I paced away to the structure with my only teammate left in tow.

"Here's where the magic happens, fillies," Ms. Jubilee announced as our group became whole again. What I had ultimately been expecting to be a profitable, industrial cherry factory turned out to be a large and nearly empty room. The only objects in the space were a giant wheel for somepony to walk in, a short conveyor belt jutting out from a wall, and two bins place to its side, one trimmed with red and the other with yellow. Both were pictured with a pair of cherries corresponding to the bin's color.

"Very…" I started, pausing to think of the right word to sum up my thoughts. Sadly, I could think of none, so I turned to one of my comrades for assistance. "Dewdrop?"

"Basic," she replied simply. "Very basic and straightforward."

"An' that's how I like it," Jubilee said, her loud voice echoing through the room.

"What's the conveyor belt for?" Sunny questioned, flying over to the machine to examine it. "It doesn't really… _go_ anywhere."

Jubilee belted out another cry of ear-splitting laughter. My ears couldn't stop ringing. "Yeah, I'm sure it's _heartbroken_ it can't take a sabbatical to Foalorida," she wheezed in between breaths, wiping away tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. _Oh, boy._

"Care to enlighten us then?" I asked, attempting to keep my tone from sounding like I was making a challenge. I don't think it worked.

"Just sit back an' watch, fillies!" Jubilee told us as she stepped towards an open doorway. As she reached the walkway's frame, she called over her shoulder, "Would one'a you hop in that there wheel for me?"

"Dibs!" Sunny shouted, zooming over to the faded blue wheel. Placing herself within it, she broke into an excited grin. Ms. Jubilee had already disappeared to the other room by the time Sunny had situated herself. "So…" she turned to me with pondering eyes, "now what?"

I shrugged. "I dunno," I said simply. "You probably just wait there, I guess."

"But that's no fun," she pouted softly.

I rolled my eyes. Now that we were unsupervised, we could probably get away with anything until Jubilee came back. What evil deeds could we accomplish while the orchard's caretaker was away? Obviously not much since there were only so many objects in the room. I really wanted to try a fun game where you trap your friends under laundry baskets and pretend they're in prison, and we _did_ have bins present with us at the time. I could vividly hear pleas for mercy as I pictured myself standing triumphantly over the captured Sunny Day and Dewdrop Meadow. But I couldn't possibly follow through with such an evil scheme.

"Who wants to play 'confine and conquer?'" Sunny voiced.

"That's what I was thinking!" I admitted with a smile, relieved that I wasn't the only one who found that game amusing.

"Oh, no," Dewdrop shook her head hastily, "we are _not_ playing that game." Her gaze drifted to her hooves as she added faintly, "I always get caught in the first ten seconds."

"Aw, it's okay, Dewy," Sunny reassured the lithe pegasus. "We were just kidding around." I wasn't.

Just then, Jubilee hollered from the next room over, "Whoever's in charge'a the wheel can start walkin'!"

"On the wheel?" Sunny asked me. I almost busted out laughing until I realized that she was being serious.

"Sunny, are you kidding me?" I deadpanned as my eyelids drooped to half-mast.

"What, I just wanna know!" When all I offered her was an arched brow, she sighed heavily. "Alright, alright, sheesh," she muttered under her breath, setting the wheel into motion. As the wheel creaked to a start, the conveyor belt, in turn, began its revolution, and out from the opening in the wall appeared an assortment of red and yellow cherries.

"Hold 'er right there for a moment," Ms. Jubilee requested as she reappeared in the doorway. As Sunny brought the wheel to a stop, the earth pony cantered over to the belt of mixed cherries, tossing her deep red mane aside as she positioned herself opposite the side with the colored bins. "Kick those hindquarters into gear, sunshine!" she ordered. "Give me an easy trot!"

"Will do!" Sunny brought the wheel to life, working it at a slightly faster pace. The conveyor belt squeaked on its revolvers, and Cherry Jubilee began her work. Directing cherries easily into their corresponding bins, her actions seemed so natural, graceful even.

Dewdrop and I watched her with our mouths agape as the last of the cherries were sorted. Jubilee wiped her brow with a hoof and released a bellow of laughter that reverberated through the barn for several seconds. "And _that_ , little fillies," she said with enough ego to spot from a mile away, "is how we get 'er done."

Dewdrop and I traded astounded glances, our eyes wide and about ready to burst. " _Wow._ "

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

After an afternoon filled with exploring the cherry orchard and helping Ms. Jubilee with some of her work (because we weren't ingrates or freeloaders), our trio decided it was time to return to Dodge Junction. The sun was dipping further toward the horizon, and it would no doubt get dark if we didn't high tail it out of the orchard.

I had to admit that the day turned into a fun and relaxing outing. We were granted a scenic tour of Ms. Jubilee's orchard that she offered of her own accord, taking time out of her schedule to reward us for our help back at the barn. We were even sent off with some of her pastries wrapped nicely to prevent them from spoiling. As soon as we arrived back in Dodge, I knew I was gonna miss that place. But Jubilee? Nah, I wasn't in any rush to sustain major hearing loss anytime soon.

The sky had subdued into a dusky blend of orange, red, and violet hues once we reached the Dodge Junction Bed 'n' Breakfast. We had explained to the manager our predicament and offered some of Ms. Jubilee's treats in exchange for one night's stay. Thankfully the guy was generous and accepted the deal, giving us a three cot bedroom for the night. We unloaded our saddlebags next to each bed, finally beginning to settle in for our first night away from home.

I gazed off into the desert dusk as the sun began to disappear for good beyond the horizon in a sort of bashful parting. Sunny Day was off rummaging through her saddlebags, almost as if she were looking for something to make sure it hadn't been lost. In a corner of the room, Dewdrop lit an oil lamp atop a wooden table, setting the room in a warm glow. From the corner of my vision, I could perceive the motion of her eyes falling to me. I met her gaze silently.

"Something up?" I asked.

"Well," she murmured gently, "I had this thought." She paused, and I motioned for her to continue. "I feel like we should mark a route through the swamps. As a team. So we all have an idea of how we're going to travel."

"You always were the clever one, Dewy," Sunny told her, now sitting atop her cot with a grin.

"That's not a bad idea," I agreed. "Not bad at all."

"Oh, good," the pale yellow pegasus breathed a sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not. I have my map ready to be marked." As she produced her copy of the Hayseed Swamps, Sunny and I joined her at the table. The lamp cast a flickering light across the paper and writing utensils as we traded glances with each other.

"So," I broke the silence, "who's marking the map?" Sunny and Dewdrop gazed at each other with a mutual understanding, then turned their eyes to me in anticipation. "…What?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sunny answered cryptically.

Knowing I wasn't gonna get any further with this line of questioning, I shifted my attention to Dewdrop. "I think what Sunny _means_ to say is," she elaborated, casting Sunny a playful sideways glance, "it should be _you_ , Silver."

I returned her words with a blank stare. " _I'm_ marking the map?"

"Look, it's a no-brainer," Sunny told me. "I don't have the mentality to lead a group."

"And I'm a follower, not a leader," Dewdrop voiced. "So, that only leaves you."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Leadership's got nothing to do with this. It's marking a map, and we're doing it together."

"But we need somepony to pace our expedition," Dewdrop explained. "It just feels like the right option to put you in charge."

I scoffed. "'In charge,'" I echoed, half-joking until I noticed the raw sincerity shining in her gentle green eyes. My attitude changed as I looked between the two pegasi with uncertainty. "You're serious?"

They both nodded.

"Of course."

"Definitely."

I released a sigh. "Alright," I surrendered with a smile, "I'll lead the way for you, but I don't want to be treated as anything special. I'm your teammate, not your commander." I eyed them with a gleam of confidence. "We're in this for the long haul, and we're _all_ making this journey together."

"Hell, yeah, inspirational speech!" Sunny whooped, infecting Dewdrop and I with equally enthusiastic grins as we worked into the night with no end to our laughter and high spirits for the upcoming dawn.

Somewhere along the line, we had finished up our work and each found our separate beds. Their metal frames creaked as we got comfortable until the room was filled with the calm tones of the desert night. We murmured soft goodnights to each other, though they registered to me as more of sleepy hums as I succumbed to sleep's lulling spell.

…

 _A scene blots in from the darkness, a white dot painted in the sky casting streams of light upon Silver's surroundings. Trees with thick, dark leaves form around her, encompassed within bushes and dense undergrowth above rich dirt and loose stones. The pegasus stands on a dirt path, unknowing to this mysterious world around her. She hears the far off cries of birds and the chirping of insects nearby. All is calm and at peace in this world._

 _The trees split open to her side. A Timberwolf with wood of deep brown, eyes of burning fire lets out an awful wail, and the sky of once dazzling blue bleeds a swirl of crimson and inky black, the sun drowning in corruption. The earth shakes beneath the beast's mighty cry, yet the pegasus remains glued to her place. The wooden monster lunges from the trees, a savage hunger shining in its evil specks of eyes. Silver ducks in fear, anticipating the pain that would soon sear through her body._

 _The mauling never comes. The pegasus peeks out from her hooves to find a missing Timberwolf and a new setting. She still lies in this forest, of sorts, but has simply transferred to a new location within its borders. A wave of relief washes over her and a gleam from the dirt catches her eye. A knife. It rests in the earth, covered in dried mud and… something else. It rises from the dirt and floats easily over to Silver, who remains eerily calm despite this phenomenon. An otherworldly light emanates from a small patch of metal where the blade is still clean. It acts as a portal as Silver is sent plunging through it, spinning wildly as she tries to determine where up and down exist in this "in-between."_

 _She lands heavily on her hooves, the light from the knife directly before her. A glowing object with hazy, unclear borders. Silver steps closer, noticing that with each step the outline of what lies ahead grows more defined. With a few more paces forward, a heavenly tree grown of pure crystal shines with a glorious, ethereal light. A moment passes, the ground quakes, and the tree shatters into millions of sparkling pieces. The force of the wreckage sends Silver blasting backward, crystal shards glittering like stars all around her._

 _Fragments meld into the expanding blackness, and a galaxy is born. The pegasus slowly comes to a stop, floating in the infinite cosmos. A milky mist develops before her, cast in a soft pink glow from the glimmering stars in the void. The mist expands, and an angelic alicorn bursts into view. She stands at four times Silver's size, a divine mane of the deepest violet and glistening white. She expands her cream-colored wings with tips of Prussian blue, and they tower over the insignificant pegasus, partially blocking the warm light gleaming from behind the alicorn. Her closed lids open at last, and pure white light spills from their depths. Whiteness floods Silver's view as she drops into another plane._

 _She places her hooves on an unseen surface. She gazes around to find a perpetual expanse of white but hears her name called from a distance away. Her sight shifts to find… her. Rainbow Dash. She's standing fifty feet away, and Silver finds herself walking, trotting, full-on galloping to her… but something is wrong. Rainbow's hooves. A murky black substance pools at their base, and it draws out further at an alarming rate when the silvery pegasus notices. It kills any and all light within seconds, engulfing the pure whiteness. Black is Silver's reality. Two blood-red slits for eyes pierce through the darkness, and a creature clad in dark chrome armor emerges from the shadows. It looks familiar, yet utterly overtaken by bloodthirst. Its teeth glow wickedly in the gloom, and it releases a bone-shattering cackle._

 _Silver's ears ring in protest, but the laughter continues. High pitched and shrill. Her head spins, and another voice joins the first. This one is deeper, more sinister, and soon grows to overcome the first. T_ _he creature clad in armor draws back into the blackness, though its eyes remain visible._ _Crimson is replaced by abysmal violet that rips through the pegasus with ease. Silver's heart hammers loudly in her ears while a far off melody drifts through the clamor. The laughter, the heartbeat, the melody mesh into an evil, erratic composition. She loses her grip on consciousness, her head swimming, swaying, trying not to sink under. It's a useless effort. Her eyes roll back, revealing full whiteness._

 _Darkness consumes her._

…

"－ver."

A voice called through the dark. Who was it? I didn't really know or care. All I wanted was to sleep off whatever freakishly bizarre reality I had just lived. Good thing it was time for bed…

Wait a minute.

"－Silver… Silver…" the voice persisted. It wasn't time for bed at all, was it? "Silver, come on, it's time to get up."

Despite my will to ignore anything that denied me sleep, I fluttered my eyelids open, letting them adjust to the calm and way too bright light sifting in through the window. I tried my best not to sneeze. But that's not how it works when you have light-induced sneezing reflexes.

"Oh, good, you're not dead," I heard Dewdrop murmur in quiet relief, who it seemed had been the one to wake me up. Such a sweetheart. "And bless you."

"It's a reflex," I muttered in reply. I took a moment to get familiar with my surroundings. _Right,_ I remembered, _the Bed 'n' Breakfast. So, that_ was _a dream, after all._ I turned to Dewdrop, trying not to seem troubled. "Thank you for waking me."

She accepted my thanks with a pleased smile, which faded quickly when she noticed my expressionless demeanor. So much for trying not to worry her. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

I tilted my head to the ceiling, suddenly interested in the lopsided water stain right above my head. "Oh, no," I replied, "nothing's wrong."

"You're certain?" the fair yellow pegasus prodded.

By some force, my eyes were drawn into Dewdrop's of pale green. Her eyes cascaded with sincere and compelling concern, so much so that I couldn't keep from telling her at least some of the truth.

I released a well overdue sigh. "Just… just a dream I had."

* * *

And there you have the last referenced chapter of the entire series. I'm going to miss having a cheat sheet to look off of. Oh well, that just means original and exciting content for you next time.


	8. Chapter 7 - Visions and Evasions

(A/N): Ah, lucky number 7. The funny thing about this series is that even if I didn't have much of an older chapter to work off of, I had a basic plot sequence for this book and how certain key events were supposed to go. So I guess I had _something_ to work off of, but not an actual pre-written chapter, so this is all pretty much original content. So that's fun. Just a quick heads up for people who actually like this story and its progress, the next few weeks are going to get very _very_ busy for me, so chapters may not get updated quite as regularly as they do now. If you even want to call my updates "regular." Anyway, let's just get this show on the road!

* * *

~ Chapter 7 ~

Visions and Evasions

The sun of blinding white was at its peak in the sky when we three intrepid pegasi at last breached the border of the Hayseed Swamps. With the thick canopy overhead blocking most of the sun's rays, however, it was a little hard to tell exactly what time it was. I still managed to lead the charge deeper into the swamps with Dewdrop close behind me and Sunny Day holding up the rear.

As we marched onward, I periodically studied the map we had marked the night previous, but my mind began to wander somewhere in this pattern. Something had been bothering me ever since I woke up. The occurrence of last night's dream couldn't have been just some coincidence. The contents had gone jumbled and fuzzy ever since that morning, but I could remember how crucial each moment was, and it got me thinking. The premonition, the voice, the dream… It was all too perfect. Too well crafted. There was another factor working behind the scenes, I could just feel it. The only problem was figuring out what or who it was, although I already had my suspicions. By this point, it had become clear to me that the voice of the "prophet" in my dream back in Ponyville and the voice that discouraged the idea of sharing its presence with Rainbow Dash were one in the same. They had to be if I had felt a compelling sense of familiarity the second time it introduced itself. The only clue that remained to solving this particular puzzle was the identity of the voice, and that alone seemed impossible to determine. If I could just figure out how to connect with it, there was a possibility I could ask for information. And that was another problem. I couldn't control the voice or communications with it at all. It clearly had its own agenda, so it came and went whenever necessary. If I was ever going to solve this mystery, my first step would have to be finding a way to connect with the voice. Some subconscious part of me knew there had to be a way, that a way actually _existed_ somewhere. I'd at least give it a shot. What did I have to lose?

After I spent some time dwelling on the subject, I decided the time was right for the group to take a short rest. Enough time for me to at least clear my head. "Hey, Dewdrop," I called over my shoulder, "mind taking the map off my hooves for a quick second?"

Dewdrop eyed me quizzically. "Sure, but what for?" she asked as I turned the map over into her possession.

"I think we've made a decent amount of progress for now," I replied. "We're gonna stop here for a bit and take a break－"

"Wow, I didn't know the word 'break' was in your vocabulary," Sunny quipped, satisfied with herself as she stepped up to Dewdrop's side, a comical grin plastered on her face.

"－because I _love_ and support you guys from the bottom of my heart," I deadpanned, soon flashing my fellow Wonderbolt a tongue-in-cheek smirk to show there were no hard feelings. "Feel free to just take a breather and relax."

"Aye aye, captain," Sunny saluted in the most informal sense of the term while Dewdrop proceeded to roll her eyes with an amused smile on her lips.

"Sorry, what was that?" I asked in a tone meant to tease, holding a hoof up to my ear. "I can't heeear you."

"I said," Sunny started, audibly inhaling as much air as possible to scream at the top of her lungs, "AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!" Her voice echoed all around us for a moment or two after. And I think Dewdrop lost a few years off of her lifespan, too.

"Ooooooh-kay," I said with a chuckle, "I think that's enough outta you for a while."

Sunny just flashed a pleased smile as we fell into a peaceful silence. In fact, the swamplands seemed to mirror our quiet as any natural sound went completely mute. Strange. Just then, the ground trembled ever so slightly in a slow, ominous tempo. The tremors were minor at first, but they continued to grow more intense with each passing breath. An inexplicable tension grew thick in the humid air as we remained rooted to our spots. Something wasn't right.

Dewdrop's eyes widened in utter horror. "Celestia, no," she whispered.

"Dewdrop?" I addressed her, a weight of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "What's wrong?"

She just shook her head as the color drained from her face, tears forming at the lower rim of her eyes. I could see her lips murmuring something over and over, but her words were too soft for me to catch. The tremors ceaselessly flourished, almost like they were drawing nearer. Or some _thing_ was drawing nearer.

Dewdrop met my eyes just as they brimmed over and spilled onto her cheeks. "We're gonna die."

" _What_?!" Sunny Day hissed.

The world held its breath for a lulling moment in time. That's when it hit us. A blast of the most revolting odor I've ever breathed in my entire life. I whipped my head to the nearby treeline just as a pair of burning red eyes blinked into existence, staring right back at me. My heart stopped.

The trees split open with a mighty crack. A beast several times my size towered before me as it released a wail deafening enough to make the ground convulse violently beneath our hooves. A hellish Timberwolf with wood of deep brown, eyes of flaming blood glowered at us, sizing us up. Its horrid gaze shifted to me with an intent to slaughter, letting out a low snarl. Like a flash of lightning, the massive creature lunged from the trees. Directly at me.

A cacophony of thoughts raced through my head at that moment, so many that I couldn't tell one apart from the other. But one thought was clear: _This is where I die_. My breath hitched as time seemed to slow down, the world eventually freezing in place. At first, I thought it was just some joke my imagination was playing on me, but my reality did eventually curb to a sluggish halt. My eyes were glued to the giant Timerwolf before me no matter how greatly I urged myself to tear them away. Its features flashed to an abnormal level of distinctness as the world around it blurred into a muddy backdrop. The rim of the monster glowed against the surrounding mess as time and space were fixed in place. Everything but me, my heart hammering wildly in my ears. Although I couldn't physically see my teammates, my friends, I could sense them. Sunny's horror, Dewdrop's frenzied panic blending together in a tense aura. This feeling was unreal, yet there was something almost calming about it, like I knew nothing could harm me in this state. Something was protecting me.

 _…_

 _Run. Keep running and you will be safe. I will guide the others._

 _…_

My eyes widened in a sudden realization. I'd seen this before, I'd practically _lived_ this before. The very first segment of my dream the previous night flashed into my mind. The Timberwolf that attacked me in my dream… was _this_ Timberwolf. It was like I had a vision, another premonition of a future event. The voice didn't have to communicate it to me directly; it could show me visions of the future. I knew there was more to my dream than just that Timberwolf, but the fragments were too muddled for me to pick apart, so I suppose I could only see the future to some extent.

My thoughts, however, would have to wait for another time. While I stood motionless in a state of silent contemplation, the world around me corrected itself into focus and was beginning to revive. Including the Timberwolf that was about ready to tear me in half. Time gained momentum gradually at first, but it served as a warning for me to get out of the way of the beast's fatal attack. I mustered all of my energy into urging my body sideways in an attempt to sidestep the Timberwolf's grasp, but the slow acceleration of time only allowed me to move as fast as it could. As the seconds drew shorter and the monster drew nearer, the strength of my motion threw me further to the side, just barely dodging the Timberwolf's clutches as the world around me returned to normal. I didn't realize how strong of a leap I had taken until I found myself rolling over my own weight. I recovered control of my momentum (amen for being a Wonderbolt) and skidded to a halt on my hooves, staring at the Timberwolf as it settled in the spot where I had been just a moment before. _I could've been mauled to death._

For now, I had narrowly escaped death, but the challenge was nowhere near over. We still had to get out of harm's way, and I didn't have much of a plan ready to get that accomplished. The Timberwolf was blocking a clear path to my team, so there was no way I could reach them. Not if I wanted to keep my life, that is, so I did what any normal pony would do if they were cornered by a beast and had an abysmally low chance of survival.

I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Sunny, Dewdrop, I need you to _run_!" I hollered to the two. "Scatter! This thing can only chase one of us if we run in different directions!"

While my logic was sound, it didn't change the fact that all of the Timberwolf's attention was focused on me. It probably didn't help that I was screaming, either. While the wooden beast's gaze was honed in on me, I could spot Dewdrop dashing between the trees to the left and Sunny bolting through the dense undergrowth to the right. That just left me.

I locked eyes with the ferocious creature and let out a soft chuckle. Its eyes were narrowed at me with a sort of twisted intrigue, almost like it had underestimated my skill the first time. That definitely wasn't the case anymore. Before I knew it, I was weaving through the massive trees in an attempt to disorient the Timberwolf and make my escape. Unfortunately, despite how massive its appearance seemed, it was surprisingly nimble and swift, following my movement with nearly perfect precision. The only sounds I could make out were the pounding of blood in my ears and my own frantic gasps for air as I searched helplessly for a way out of this mess. I couldn't just fly away; the wildlife was far too condensed to maneuver around and the overhead canopy was littered with hidden branches that wouldn't allow me to simply break through. But I was running out of time. I didn't have the stamina to keep fleeing from the Timberwolf on hoof forever. I needed something, anything, to give me an opportunity to break off from the monster. Even if it had the tiniest chance of success, it was still a chance.

And there it was. Just up in front of me was a pile of collapsed logs and knotty undergrowth with an opening just big enough for me to fit through. The logs would act as an effective barricade if I made it through to the other side, and the surrounding brush and upright trees would be too thick to plow down. I'd be safe. In order to make it, though, I'd have to make a flying leap, which wasn't impossible or anything. It would be precarious, but it was possible. I could hear the Timberwolf hot on my trail as I focused all my attention on the small opening. The seconds felt like eternities as I counted them off in my head.

I made my move. Inhaling a low breath, I zoned in on the tiny opening and willed all of my remaining strength into my hind legs. Soaring off from the earth beneath me, my wings caught one last surge as I adjusted my course ever so slightly. The barricade was just yards, feet, inches away until－

A sharp pain shot through my left wing. I passed through the opening and tumbled to the ground in a clumsy mess, letting myself roll to a stop as I no longer possessed the energy to salvage my center of gravity. I came to rest on my side, caked from head to hoof in a sticky sweat. Taking a moment or two to catch my breath and relieve my burning lungs and throat, I could hear the Timberwolf's agitated cries on the other side of the fallen line of trees. Soon accepting the fact that it could no longer pursue me, the beast gave up its chase and sauntered away, its heavy steps dissipating into the distance.

"And _now_ ," I murmured to myself dryly, "I have officially escaped death."

As I pushed myself up from the ground, I attempted to flex my wings in a stretch. I winced as the pain in my wing resurfaced, letting it hang limply at my side as a wave of nausea washed over me. My breathing became shallow as I spared a glance at the injured wing. My vision grew cloudy, fluctuating even as I exerted enough energy to simply stand up. Though my eyesight was skewed, the sight of my wing couldn't have been etched more vividly in my mind.

Everything was splayed awkwardly, the bone just before my primary feathers broken and twisted in a way that made my stomach lurch. The bone wasn't poking through the skin, at least, so there was no bleeding to worry about. But that didn't make it any less unbearably painful.

My legs turned to jelly beneath me as I collapsed to the moist dirt floor. What the hell was I gonna do with a broken, mangled wing? I inhaled a hissed breath through clenched teeth as another rush of searing torment overcame me, cold beads of sweat dotting my brow. There had to be a way to fix my wing. I could feel a faint recollection tugging at the corners of my mind, encouraging me to remember something from the previous morning.

" _Just a quick packing list…_ " the memory of Twilight Sparkle floated just within the reaches of my perception. " _… in the left pouch… saddlebags… basic first aid… for your expedition_."

 _First aid_ , I repeated to myself internally, not quite grasping the significance of those words until my nausea subsided. I located my saddlebag thrown askew from my fumbled landing a few feet away, unlatching the clip of the left pouch and taking a peek inside. My mind wasn't completely clear as I rummaged through my belongings. It took a few moments longer than it should've for me to locate a decent sized case stamped with a red cross. I opened it up and tried to make sense of every item that was inside.

"Medical tape," I muttered, eyeing the roll of adhesive and setting it aside. "Good, I'll need it. Lessee here, bandages, antiseptic crap, gauze rolls－" I stopped. Inside the case was a plastic oval-shaped disc about the size of my folded wing. It was probably supposed to be used as a sort of medical plate for holding materials so they wouldn't get contaminated, but I saw it as something much more useful. A splint. I removed it from the case and peered at my broken wing laying on the ground. Another wave of nausea flooded my being as I gazed upon its gnarled form. Reaching back into the case of supplies, I found a roll of gauze and wrapped a protective layer over the disc. At least I tried to. It's hard to focus on anything else when your body is screaming at you to just pass out from exhaustion and pain. I managed to wrap the disc, cutting an end of the gauze off with my teeth and haphazardly tossing the remaining roll back into its case. I turned my attention to my frazzled wing, slowly and carefully sliding the disc beneath the primary fold of my wing, giving support to the broken bone. I proceeded to secure the disc, desperately trying to wrap the medical tape as best as I could while avoiding the broken bone, but I still needed a way to keep my wing in place. I didn't want to waste more gauze by wrapping my splinted injury to my body, so I resorted to folding up the blanket Twilight packed me into a strip just thick enough to keep my wing secure and just long enough so I could wrap it around my middle and tie it in place.

I was still breaking out in a cold sweat by the time I had finished fixing my wing up, but the pain from the broken bone was at last subsiding and I had at least slowed down my breathing. It was shaky breathing, but it wasn't nearly as shallow as before. The swamps met my rattled breaths with quiet hums of their own as I took a moment or two to reflect. _I just broke my wing_. The very same wing that had been damaged back in Canterlot not too long ago. The pit of my stomach dropped.

"I may never be able to fly again," I murmured. My forlorn statement was met with nothing but the calm of the biome around me as I stared with empty eyes at the ground beneath me. Flying was what I lived for. It was my job, it was what I was made to do, it was how I met my best friend…

It was the forsaken talent that got me abandoned all those years ago. But I loved it anyway despite what they said, despite the bitter hatred they showed me for following such a forbidden path…

But that was ages ago and definitely something I didn't want to remember. At least not then. I didn't need to rub more salt in the wound than I already had. With most of the pain in my wing gone, I got used to the concept of moving around again as I packed my things away, being careful of my injury as I settled the saddlebag onto my back.

The chances were favorable that Sunny Day and Dewdrop both escaped unscathed. That was assuming neither of them came across another threat. Either way, I didn't want to try backtracking through the swamps just in case the Timberwolf still lurked nearby. If it found out I had been weakened from our last encounter, I'd _really_ be dead, so I opted to continue on my own. Maybe they managed to meet up without me. Or maybe not. Maybe we were all making this journey alone now. I just _had_ to jinx it by saying we'd be together back in Dodge. Yep. Me and my big, sappy mouth.

Seeing as though just standing around wasn't proving to be a productive use of my time, I decided to begin a new trek through the swamps, marking my path as I went each day. Although it was lonely, I just knew somewhere that the others were safe and pressing on, too. It was a strange feeling, but it was there. They'd be alright. I'd be alright, too.

I had to be alright. I promised I would.

* * *

And that concludes another chapter. Hope it was worthwhile. Really. It was obnoxiously hard to figure out how to write the splinting scene, you would not believe how much I kept rewriting it even though it probably still doesn't make any sense. Oh, well. As I said, chapters may become scarce from this point, but I'll try as best as I can to keep the story updated. Until next time, I suppose.


	9. Chapter 8 - Past and Present Tense

(A/N): And I have returned! To those who enjoy this series, my best writing days are when I have free time and when I'm not completely exhausted, so now that my regular marching band season is done, I don't have to worry about that anymore! Chapter 8 has been in the making for a week or two now because it's a little more... _sensitive_ than other chapters and will have a little more language in it than ones before it. If you're not a fan of that, I'm sorry, but this chapter has a special place in my heart and I hope you understand a little more about the story after reading it.

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~ Chapter 8 ~

Past and Present Tense

I lost count of the days I traveled somewhere after the first week. Days and nights and everything in between melded together so irrationally in my mind that I just gave up trying to keep track of it all and focused my efforts on staying alive. Oh, and I had to search for the Elements too, so there was that. I began to mark my path on my copy of the map as I picked my way through the congested vegetation and suffocating humidity that was my reality, relying solely on my faint recollection of what the true expedition path looked like on Dewdrop's map. Extra emphasis on the "faint" part.

It might have been because of my weakened physical and mental state after the Timberwolf incident or the oppressive atmosphere of the swamps－maybe a little of both－but I became aware that interwoven between moments of reality were moments of reminiscence. Distant memories and places from years passed that shouldn't have belonged. And yet they felt too real to ignore.

I've tried so hard to forget these memories, and the times where it's hardest to ignore them is when I'm alone. Abandoned. Afraid. Sound familiar?

These memories－episodes of my past－I'd kept them a secret from the world, held under lock and key even from my best friend for all those years. They felt too personal to reveal, etched too deeply with scars that would never heal. Constant reminders of my past, a time long since gone by that would haunt my miserable, insignificant existence for the rest of my days. At least that's what I thought.

The only reason I realized why I was recalling the memories was because I had been split off from Sunny and Dewdrop. That was what triggered the living nightmares, or "reliving" nightmares, in a sense. They happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly that there was no telling when they'd pop up or how I could stop them. In all honesty, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

I would be fine, or as close to fine as one can get in the circumstances I was in. Wandering around helplessly in the unknown. And the memories would crash in through the walls, drowning me－painful emotions would hack away at what was left, consuming me－I would forget the world around me, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't hear anything but my heart pounding and pounding and banging and banging and banging and banging and－

－ _banging and banging and banging. That's all I ever hear from that stupid shop. That stupid shop full of stupid displays and stupid customers coming to buy stupid rings made by my stupid family in the shop's stupid back room with stupid metals and stupid tools. I hate it._

 _So, for a long time, my family's made rings－"wedding bands," whatever those are－to sell to ponies who want to spend the rest of their lives together. Or something dumb like that._

 _What, my name? I'm Silver Stream._

 _… Do I_ have _to tell you why? Fine. My mom and dad named me Silver after the metal they thought I looked like and Stream for the liquid metal that's poured to make rings. I think it's dumb._

 _What I really want to say is that they named me Silver for the way my wings shine in the sun and Stream for the really fast wind high in the sky somewhere. "Jet streams," I think?_

 _My mom and dad want me to be like them, do what they do and make rings for ponies. But that's boring. I don't tell them that, though. They get angry when I disagree with them. I guess I can tell you, though. But you can't tell anypony else. It's a secret, okay?_

 _Well, what I really want to do is fly. I want to fly far away from Las Pegasus and live out my dream: I want to be a Wonderbolt, one of the greatest Equestria's ever seen._

 _But I can't. My family hates anything that has to do with stunt flying. Yeah, it's not even just my parents, it's my_ entire _family. But my mom and dad are always the ones telling me that there was a stallion in our family－my great uncle, I think－who wanted to move away from home and be a stunt flyer. A dangerous stunt flyer, you know, like daredevils and stuff. My family told him to stay so he could learn to run the business someday, but he ignored them and left to never return…_

 _Because he died in a flying accident only a few years later._

 _Now all my family ever does, especially my mom and dad, is say what a disgrace he was. How much of a failure he was. All that guilt junk._

 _They just don't understand. He had a dream he wanted to live. He didn't want to be stuck in some dumb jewelry shop all his life. And I don't want to either. I wish I could tell them that._

 _I wish I was brave enough to face my parents and tell them I_ －

"－just want to be able to fly!"

My eyes shot open, wide with panic as I gasped for air. I glanced around, unsure if I was truly alone despite having gone for days, maybe even weeks in isolation. Just the same old towering trees dressed with crowns of thick leaves and robes of hanging moss. Same old overgrown underbrush darting between trees and foxtails lining the border between solid ground and the general area of water in which something was probably waiting to kill me. And the same old muddy water and watery mud, occasionally just moist dirt, if I was lucky. _Just like always_ , I reassured myself with a puff of a sigh.

Usually the episodes weren't so long or vivid. They tended to last for only a few seconds, just bits and pieces of furious conversation or deafening clamor or suppressed torment. But this was an _actual_ memory…

"That's not how it is, anymore," I mumbled weakly, closing my tired, defeated eyes. "They don't control my life anymore. I'm… better now."

"But are you really?" a condescending voice appeared from nowhere, sounding female but belonging to nopony, giving me a start. "Look at that wing of yours." I glanced back at the sorry excuse of first aid that was my wing as the voice clicked its tongue at me. "Now, I wonder whose fault that was?"

"What was I supposed to do?" I retorted, unaware that I wasn't talking to anything. Just my twisted imagination. "Did you want me to just die?"

"That _is_ always an option," a colder, more disciplined voice joined the conversation, this time sounding male. "It would have been for the best, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

There was an overwhelming silence for a moment. "Do you _think_ you're worth more than the waste of oxygen you are?"

I fell into a shocked daze. The world around me warped and distorted uncontrollably. Where was I? What was I doing? _Should I be dead? Why am I still alive?_

"You're just like _he_ was," the first voice seethed. "Ungrateful, naive, believing you could do better without your _family_. A family that did nothing but care for you day after miserable day."

"In truth, you were a failure," the second voice stated, its stringent words piercing my heart like a blade, "just a wretched mistake that I wish I could forget."

"Was abandoning your family really worth all _this_?" the first prodded.

 _You weren't the ones who were abandoned_. I couldn't bring myself to say those words.

"Looks like you got what you deserved," the second followed suit, a little more frantic.

 _Th-this－My wing was just an accident_. The words were unable to escape my mouth.

"And to think you wanted to _fly_?" the two hissed in unison, mutating into a malicious duet of crazed laughter. "Well, look at you now! You can _fly_!"

 _I never wanted to be imprisoned in that awful shop_. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat that threatened to suffocate me.

"You're living out your dream!" the voices plowed on, relentless. "And where did that get you, huh?"

 _I'm in a far better place now than where I would be if I'd stayed_. I was powerless against them.

"Lost, forgotten in a swamp! A shitty swamp in the middle of nowhere!" At this point, the two voices were wailing at the top of their lungs, a chaotic discord that shook me to my very core. I couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion anymore. Illusion _was_ my reality.

"Is this what you wanted?! _Are you satisfied_?!"

Paralyzing silence－

－ _and a sharp crack split the air. My cheek stung with pain as hot tears blurred my vision. I couldn't believe my mom just…_ hit me _. My dad didn't do anything except stand there, glaring at me._

 _What did I do? I'll tell you what I did. I told my parents the truth._

 _"I don't want to make rings. I want to pursue a new career. I want to fly. I want to be_ free _." That's what I told them._

 _And you know what they did after that? Well, I guess I kinda already told you that part, but my mom…_

 _Do you think it's okay if I tell you what she said to me? I'm probably not supposed to go repeating it, I don't really understand all the words she used, yet. But I trust you._

 _She told me with this look of pure anger in her eyes, "Get your sorry ass out of this house. I never want to see your disgusting face again."_

 _She threw me out into the street after that. The last thing I remember her saying was…_

 _"_ You fucking bastard _." And she slammed the door on me, leaving me all alone._

 _Well, not_ completely _alone, I suppose. I have you, after all. That's definitely something._

 _…_

 _You know, I'm happy we're running away together. I think you're the only pony in the whole world who actually listens to me, who really understands me…_

 _I just wish you were… real…_

－

And there I sat in the middle of that damned swamp, sobbing until I could sob no more. Did I make the right choice all those years ago? I wasn't so sure anymore. Now I was lost without a friend in sight to help me find my way. I wanted to give up, to just accept the fact that I was probably going to rot and die in this abysmal place. Never really knowing how close or how far I was to reaching my goal. Useless. _Pathetic_. Just like they always told me I was. And I was never going to change.

 _…_

 _But you aren't useless or pathetic, Silver Stream. And you're never truly alone…_

My heart stopped.

 _…I am here to help guide you. Always…_

I snapped my gaze upward, trying to find the sky amidst the thick canopy above me.

 _…You are much stronger than you know. I believe in you…_

"Who are you?" I called out but received no reply.

 _…I have always believed in you…_

I searched my swarming brain for another option, and it came to me.

 _…And I will always continue to believe in you. Forever…_

 _Who are you?_ I questioned with all my willpower. _Please, I have to know who you are!_

There was a still quiet…

And I could feel the voice smile upon me from somewhere intangible in my existence.

 _…I am everything you wanted but never had as a foal, Silver…_

 _…I am your guardian…_

My eyes were drawn to the nearby plant life on my right as if by magic. Or some higher force, it seemed. Thick grass and reeds appeared to be tampered with in some unnatural way, cut open and ripped like something had been trying to break through. _But for what?_ I asked myself, a weary tension rising in my stomach.

I flicked my gaze to the ground before the torn vegetation and saw what was one of the last things I expected to find in a desolate swamp. A knife. Its blade was caked in some places with mud and dead grass, but there was something else on it. Something I couldn't quite place.

And it happened again. It was less jarring than the first time it ever occurred, but I could sense the slow and stop of time as the world held its breath in silent anticipation. The knife became the focal point of my vision as its appearance enhanced itself and its edges glowed in an ethereal light. I could sense a multitude of emotions enveloping the object like a deranged aura, each feeling too chaotic to be able to tell it apart from the others. All except for one.

A cold, forlorn anguish, penetrating deep into the soul. _Despair_.

 _…There are others in this world who suffer from hardships and grief just as you did. Take the knife along with you. You will need it._

 _…_

I remembered the second segment of the dream I had so many nights ago, the part where I discovered the existence of the unclean knife, further solidifying my theory that the voice could give me visions of events that had yet to occur. And the feeling vanished just as soon as it appeared, the presence of the mysterious voice along with it. The world soon revived in time, leaving me to ponder. I had a… _guardian_. Or at least that's what the voice led me to believe, but the thought was comforting nonetheless. It was watching me, protecting me from somewhere, anywhere in the universe. It actually _cared_ for me.

A new feeling sprouted in me. A feeling like I was not alone, but the good kind where you know there's someone who's got your back out there. You just don't know where. The feeling stuck with me as I carefully tucked the knife away in my saddlebag and continued my journey deeper into the Hayseed Swamps, my spirit significantly lighter than the moment I set hoof on that train back in Ponyville.

It wasn't just an uncertain guess anymore. Now I actually knew I was going to be okay. After all, she was the one who believed in me even when I couldn't. And I owe her so much for that.

* * *

I'm not completely sure how chapter updates are gonna go just because my schedule's still kinda busy, but I'll try to be more frequent than the jump between updating chapter 7 and chapter 8. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review if you like the series (and don't be afraid to PM me anything, even if it's just a hello).


	10. Chapter 9 - Meeting the Astral Queen

(A/N): Well, hello there! It's been a little over a month, I know, but it's for good reason. I kinda had a hard time starting this chapter because I had absolutely no idea where I was going with it. That was the major problem. After I got it started, I just kinda kept making the chapter longer and longer, so now it's kinda (a lot) longer than Chapter 3, which has been the longest chapter up to this point. This chapter ended up being somewhere around 5,000 words, though, so this definitely beat out Chapter 3. By a long shot.

Anyway, this should be a very emotional chapter for some readers, so feel free to put some emotional music on while you read. You know, for ambiance.

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~ Chapter 9 ~

Meeting the Astral Queen

It was an indescribable feeling. Something beautiful, strange, confusing all at the same time. For a while, I didn't even know it was there. Just an invisible cord attached to the very threshold of my consciousness, drawing me closer and closer to my objective—my Element—without me knowing.

Then I became aware of its presence, and even then I still had no idea what it was for a few days. A gut feeling lingering in the pit of my stomach, knowing with all my heart that _something_ was out there. My Element was out there, waiting for me to unite with it. Waiting for its missing half. Waiting to become whole. Just like I was.

It didn't take long for the switch of realization to finally click. The reason I was experiencing this pull, this _longing_ was because of my Element. I wanted to be with it, I _needed_ to be with it more than anything in the world. I had to find it, and the sooner the better. The closer I got, the stronger the gravitation I felt towards it, which only made the separation feel like a deep, agonizing pain within the core of my chest the longer I went without finding it. It _hurt_ to be without it.

And the ache had never been as strong as it was that night. I'd finally found a place to rest, huddled beneath a tree's standing roots in such a way that I could still attempt to stargaze. Though, there's not much stargazing to be done when there's a bulky cover of branches and leaves blocking your view. It was the thought that counted.

I released a gentle sigh into the calm, sticky air. "I dunno if you can hear me from－well, wherever you are out there," I whispered, pretending for a moment that my guardian was there with me, "but I thought I could give it a shot since I'm 99.9% sure I'm not insane, you know?" I laughed to myself, mostly out of pity. "I might just be talking to myself if anything else, but I don't really care as long as there's a possibility that you're listening." I paused for a while, then lifted my chin skyward. " _Are_ you listening?"

I received no reply. And I wasn't all that surprised. With a tired huff, I laid my head to rest on my hooves, my eyes still cast to the canopy above me. I wasn't quite ready to admit defeat. "Look, I _know_ you're there. _Somewhere_." I let my heavy eyelids drop shut. "I just don't know where you are, or how you can talk to me, or _why_ you're even talking to me! There are so many things I just don't know about any of this… this mess I'm in." My eyes finally opened, the world blurred with tears that had yet to spill. Tears I didn't realize I'd been holding all this time. "I just… I need you to tell me. Just give me something, _anything_." The tears brimmed over as I looked to the trees overhead. "Am I close?" I breathed, my voice just barely above a whisper. "…Or am I just _hopeless_?" And through the thickest of vines and leaves…

One brilliant star flashed me a wink.

An abrupt shock seared through my body like a bolt of lightning, a wild tremor in my core. Pure, unbridled agony burned through every inch of my being. My teeth cut through the soft flesh of my lower lip as I suppressed a cry of distress, staining my mouth crimson and coating my tongue with the metallic taste of iron. All while two voices in my head looped their hysterical phrases over and over and over, growing louder with each insistent jolt of pain.

 _Please let it stop, please let it stop, please let it stop, please let it stop, please let it stop, please let it stop, please let it stop_ —

 _I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm right here_ —

I choked on the thick atmosphere in an effort to keep myself grounded in reality and relieve my head swimming with vertigo and disorienting pain. But the strange thing was that the pain dwindled and vanished as unexpectedly as it had appeared. The first voice seemed to disappear as well, but…

— _you're so close, you're so close, you're so close, you're so close, you're so close, you're so close, you're so close_ —

The second voice only continued to crescendo in my ears. It wasn't part of my thoughts or subconscious. It was something emanating from an outside source, and the longer the voice pressed on, the stronger it resonated with me. Like it wasn't truly a voice at all, but an emotion taking shape in the form of verbal communication, easy to understand yet brimming with feelings left unspoken, inferred.

 _A voice speaking to me… based on an emotion?_ I pondered. _A feeling?_ But that couldn't be. It wasn't possible. It was absolutely _impossible_. The thought itself was a long shot at best, the thought that just didn't want to go away, the thought that the voice might've been embodying…

"My Element."

All in the same instant, every possible nerve in my body was set ablaze—my voice split the peaceful night air with a bloodcurdling scream—an endless flood of tears poured from my eyes wrenched tightly closed—both voices consumed my thoughts with their persistent chatter—

 _MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP_ —

 _I NEED YOU, I NEED YOU, I NEED YOU, I NEED YOU, I NEED YOU, I NEED YOU, I NEED YOU_ —

"I _know_ you do!" I cried out, my throat hoarse. "What do you want me to _do_?!" I released a pained groan as I channeled all my energy into standing up, stamping my hooves into the dirt as a wave of rage washed over me. "Just tell me what the _fuck_ you want me to do!"

I wasn't expecting any sort of response. That's what I'd been used to for a while, receiving no answers to any of my questions or pleas. But I got one this time.

— _JUST RUN, JUST RUN, JUST RUN, JUST RUN, JUST RUN, JUST RUN, JUST RUN_ —

And I did. With the grueling pain pounding through every fiber of my flesh, I ran. With the voices rebounding in my head, I ran. With my breath and heartbeat thundering in my ears, I ran. Like my life depended on it, which it kind of did.

I didn't really know where I was going, just weaving in and out of trees at random, dragging myself wherever I felt like going as fast as I could go with no rhyme or reason. It was ridiculous, but it was the best shot I had. My lungs, my muscles, my _everything_ burned like lava, but I didn't care. I just had to find it—my Element, and I wasn't going to stop running until I found it. Even if I passed out from exhaustion. Even if I _died_ for all I cared, because nothing mattered in those fragments of time except for the voice in my head that just told me to run and the silent anticipation building in my core, an intense whisper that gave me the faintest glimmer of hope that I was getting closer and closer and closer to my objective until—

I stopped, silent, still. Completely and utterly awestruck at what stood before me in the dead of night. An enormous, glittering tree of pure crystal, basking in a heavenly glow within a perfectly circular clearing. The second my eyes gazed upon its majesty, the horrible and mysterious pain that tormented my body just dissolved without another thought. And the voice that manifested the spirit of my Element of Harmony…

 _…You're finally here._

For the first time in what felt like years, a contented smile crossed my lips as relief flooded over me. I didn't even care about the bizarre feeling of time ebbing and halting to a stop as the tree intensified in focus, its otherworldly glow multiplying against the gloom, yet another vision. I mean, yeah it hurt my eyes a little, but that didn't matter. I just couldn't believe that after all that time, after all those days—weeks of immense pain and suffering, I'd made it. I was _here_ , within reach of my Element of Harmony. And I couldn't have possibly been more overjoyed.

 _…_

 _After every trial you've overcome along this journey, you're finally ready to claim your Element of Harmony and become one and the same in being and in spirit. Now go take what is rightfully yours._

There was a moment of peaceful silence, yet the world remained frozen and calm. I wasn't sure if I should try and say something back, maybe ask why reality was still in pause mode, but I decided to wait patiently and keep as still as the nature around me.

 _…I'm proud of you._

 _…_

An overwhelming torrent of emotions filled my heart to bursting at these last few words, so much so that I was nearly moved to tears. Their throng was countless, completely immeasurable that my very core seemed to quake in response. _How is it possible to feel so many emotions at once?_ I wondered as a sensation like goosebumps rushed along the surface of my coat, sending a chill down my spine. All of the emotions brimming in my chest reflected one unanimous and powerful feeling:

Pure and utter pride. Pride in _me_. I'd come so far since first learning of my quest back in the capital city when I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. Hell, I'd come far since my days as a foal, living dirt poor and discarded on the streets with nothing but an imaginary friend and my will to live. I guess all it took for me to realize how much I'd grown since those days was fulfilling my quest… and having someone there to guide me along the way.

As the swamplands breathed with life once again, I took another moment to calm my heart and study the crystal tree. I didn't quite get a full glimpse of it in the moment as I was too overcome with emotion. That's when I noticed something peculiar. The only Element left on the tree was mine. Sunny Day and Stardust had already collected theirs. In retrospect, it made sense; I bet they didn't have to relive awful moments from their past that hindered their expeditions for an indeterminate amount of time. Probably.

Hesitantly at first, I stepped towards the massive tree. I honestly had no idea what to do. It wasn't like I could just fly up and take it. Not with my wing the way it was, which prompted me to cast a troubled look back at the mess of gauze secured awkwardly to my body with a strip of fabric. I sighed. After all I'd been through, every smile, every laugh, every tear, every pain…

Was it all for nothing?

Something in the pit of my stomach lurched, a force that drew my gaze to my Element, the cloud of gleaming white. The feeling felt almost… magnetic, and as if by magic, the gem freed itself from its place within the tree's branches and glided slowly, smoothly to my place upon the earth. I could hear a faint noise emanating from the crystal cloud as it drew closer before coming to hover just inches before my muzzle. I tried to make out any of the sound coming from the object, but it was all incoherent to my ears. With nothing else in my way, I reached a trembling hoof out to take my Element—

My vision went completely white. I could see nothing, speak nothing, feel nothing concrete wherever I was, whatever plane of existence I was in. But I could hear _everything_. Everything my Element had to say. Everything it had been holding in for so long and at last had the opportunity to express without fear.

A voice soon met my ears through the silence.

 _…Ah, that feels nice, doesn't it? You're here, I'm here. We're here. Together. That's good, that's good._

It must've sensed my unease about this place.

 _I can tell you're a little… shocked, to say the least. That's normal, don't worry. Just listen to my voice. That's all you need to do, okay?_

I could sense the voice—my Element—smiling at me, warm and kind. I let myself relax just a bit, and it laughed in turn.

 _Good, that's great! Geez, even when you have no clue where you are or why you're there, you take it in stride. You might be afraid, but you don't let that stop you. It didn't stop you then. Why should it stop you now? That's what I like about you._

Although I couldn't say anything, there were so many thoughts bouncing around in my head that I wanted more than anything to talk about. At the same time, I was trying to fathom anything at all. Why was I so confused, why was I so frustrated? Probably because I couldn't say anything. For the majority of my journey, I had no companions, nopony to talk to. And now that I did, I was left in a place that didn't allow me a way to communicate back. I just wanted to talk to somepony…

I wanted to talk to my Element—no, talk _with_ my Element, but I couldn't. If I'd been able to cry, I would've started then. I felt awful, this felt awful, _everything_ felt awful.

 _Woah, woah, hey. It's okay. You're okay, I'm okay. We're okay… You don't know how long I've waited to say that to you. Without you…_ that _feeling was awful. You remember, right? That…_

I could sense a shudder from an intangible form.

 _There aren't even words to describe the pain I…_ we _felt. I… I'm just happy it's over now._

A quiet pause.

 _…I'm just happy you're here._

I wanted to say that I was happy, too. Happy that I'd made it here, wherever here was. Happy to just… _be_.

 _Ah, I've kept you long enough already. I should… probably explain a few things, shouldn't I?_

There was hesitancy present in the voice's tone. It wanted me to stay for as long as possible. I did, too.

 _Silver Stream… Where do I even begin? You… Wow, this is harder than I thought it would be._

It betrayed its anxiety with a bit of nervous laughter.

 _Well… Silver, let me be the first to congratulate you. It was a challenge, I'm sure, but you did it. You broke your wing, you conquered demons from your past, you suffered a level of pain greater than most can say they've ever experienced. All so you could reach me and be with me. That takes bravery, and a lot of it, which leads me to something else._

It smiled at me once more, a little coy.

 _Where you are right now? You may not think you truly exist, but you do, and not only you. In this place,_ we _exist. However, we exist not as two separate beings. We exist as one. I am you, and you are me. Always and forever. Even after you leave here, we will always be one with each other._

There was another short pause, the atmosphere alive with emotion. Our shared emotion.

 _Silver Stream… I am the Element of Bravery, and you are the Element of Bravery. We exist as the Element of Bravery. Together. Two halves joining to create one absolute whole. That's who we are, initially made as two halves to someday unite as one. After all those years, today is that day._

 _…And I couldn't be happier._

Again, if I could've cried, I would've in that touching moment of sincerity.

 _Ah, it'd be selfish for me to keep you any longer, so… I guess it's time for you to meet her._

It picked up on my heightened state of confusion.

 _Don't worry, you'll be fine! After all, we're together now. That's all I'll ever need._

A peaceful silence washed gently over us. I could sense reluctance lingering in the air as the voice faltered.

 _…Well, it was nice to finally meet you, Silver Stream, but… hm, goodbye wouldn't necessarily be appropriate in this instance since we aren't really leaving each other, are we? What does one say when the conversation ends, but the two don't part? I can't imagine that'd be a realistic circumstance. I'm just rambling at this point. Sorry. I guess what I should be saying is… I bet you'll have loads of fun adventures out there in your world._

One last smile.

 _…And I can't wait to join you and be with you through every single one of them._

All too suddenly, the whiteness of my reality faded to a deep abyss of black, and I instantly fell into a state of panic. _Where am I?_ I questioned internally, searching frantically for anything in the darkness, but I knew there was nothing but an eternal emptiness encasing me from all sides. That wasn't the problem, though. I couldn't hear the voice anymore, the voice of my Element of Harmony. It was just… _gone_. _What do I do?_ I attempted to reach out to the voice in hopes I would receive an answer. _What am I supposed to do without you?_ I was met by a forlorn emptiness, void of any noise or emotion. I was completely alone.

But through the desolation, a gentle memory echoed its tender words to me, reverberating deep within my heart.

 _…I am you, and you are me. Always and forever…_

I paused, listening fondly to the memory.

 _…We exist as the Element of Bravery. Together…_

I closed my eyes to the outside, focusing all my attention on the truth coming from within.

 _…And I couldn't be happier…_

"That's right," I murmured at last, the words flowing from my very core, "I remember now. You are the Element of Bravery, and I am the Element of Bravery, too. Together, we join as two halves to create one whole, the true Element of Bravery." A small smile crossed my lips. "You will always be with me, and I with you. I don't need to hear your voice to know that." I opened my eyes. "But that doesn't mean I won't miss—"

The words got caught in my throat at the sight before and all around me. I was… in space? At least that's what it looked like. For as far as the eye could see, countless stars blanketed a sky of vibrant cosmos, and there I was floating in its massive expanse. "Where have I seen this before?" I muttered beneath my breath, studying this foreign domain with caution as something pricked at the back of my mind.

After a while of just weightless hanging, a milky haze gradually developed right in front of me, bathed in a soothing pink glow cast from the millions of stars spread across the void. I watched in silence as the mist lazily diffused for a few calm moments, growing curiously brighter with each passing second until it erupted with an alarming force. I wrenched my eyes closed as the universe was tinted a pinkish hue, only opening them again once the haze had settled.

My eyes widened in unfathomable astonishment, my jaw dropping of its own accord at the figure standing at several times my size. An angelic alicorn towered over me with a grand mane of luscious violet blending smoothly to a glistening white, almost seeming to reflect the infinite mass of cosmos within its depth. Its massive wings burst open, soft cream fading to tips of rich prussian blue which eclipsed the source of warm light gleaming from behind the alicorn. The figure dropped its chin ever so slightly, closed eyelids sliding open to reveal pools of glimmering white, further illuminating the sharp, elegant features of the alicorn's visage.

A strange yet accustomed feeling overtook me in those moments, the system of stars around me blurring and melding together as every minute detail of the figure amplified to an absurd level. Time curbed and stopped as well, though it was harder to tell with nothing but stars for a backdrop. As I was left suspended in time, I could only grasp that I was experiencing another vision. But how? Why here?

Every fear and concern was easily melted away from my thoughts with the divine alicorn's compassionate smile, a familiar warmth igniting in my chest. It drew its jaw open, inhaling a breath for a small beat in time.

And the voice I'd heard as a mere murmur in the back of my mind so many times before now spoke with me face to face.

 _…_

 _At last we meet, my Silver Stream. I am the one you've sought all this time, your guardian, the one who has been protecting you since the day you first learned of your destined quest. At last, it's an honor to make your acquaintance._

 _…_

As the galactic expanse reconstructed its focus, the alicorn's eyes slid closed, soon fluttering open to reveal two shimmering hues, one of deep blue and the other of shining silver. I couldn't do anything but stare wide-eyed at the magnificent alicorn, totally baffled. I attempted to form some sort of intelligible speech, my mouth opening and closing repeatedly until I finally managed to come up with something to say.

"Holy," I breathed, almost like a sigh, "cannoli."

At least my stupidity earned me a laugh. "Tell me, Silver," it—sorry, _she_ started, her tone casually pleasant to my surprise, "am I how you pictured me to be?"

"Uh, well," I mumbled, a heated blush overtaking my face, "you're… better than anything I could've ever imagined." Talking to her felt comforting, bringing out a new level of vulnerability I wasn't really aware that I possessed. It was kinda nice, actually.

Her beautiful features crinkled in amusement. "You flatter me," she giggled. She surveyed me for an increment of time, one that felt like ages to me but really only lasted for a few seconds.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked suddenly, far more serious than before.

I couldn't help but panic slightly at her drastic change in mood. "I, um," I stuttered, "n-no, I don't know… You never told me anything about you or your identity."

Her mismatched hues softened as she released a pensive sigh. "That is to be expected," she admitted softly, her gaze sweeping across the starry void, deep in thought. "I wouldn't have wanted to reveal too much too soon."

Another hushed silence fell between us. I could tell she was upset about something with the way she pondered. A distraught look idled just beneath the surface of her fixated expression, but she left her true emotions fully unmasked in her eyes.

"Is there…" I started, my words trailing off until she found my gaze with her own, "is there something wrong?"

She smiled faintly. "The only thing that's wrong is that I haven't introduced myself by name," she replied. "A very small few know of my existence in the mortal realm, so this is not something to be taken lightly." The alicorn fixed me with another resolute stare as I tried to suppress the anxious laughter rising in my chest. "I am putting my trust in you that you keep this meeting between us a secret for the time being."

I nodded in response, too terrified for words.

"Very well," she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I am known to some as Goddess of the Celestial Realm. Others know me as Queen of the Sun and Moon, but to you…" Her smile widened. "My true name is Eclipse."

 _Eclipse_ , I played with the thought, turning it over in my brain. It seemed so simple, but at the same time so…

"Um, Eclipse," I addressed the mighty alicorn, who eyed me quizzically in turn, "I want to ask you something."

Her soft laughter lightened the atmosphere between us, the stars seeming to shine brighter across the blanket of space. "Don't let me stop you, then."

"Well, I just wanted to know…" I began, glancing around to root myself into reality. This was no dream I was having. I was really here talking with one of the highest beings in the universe. My head started swimming just reminding myself. "Why am I here?" I asked finally. "What did I do in my life that makes me so special?"

The light that danced within her vibrant eyes flaunted the undeniable truth that she had an incalculable extent of knowledge concealed inside her. "Before you were born into mortal existence," she started, casting me a knowing look, "you were given a destiny. Two others were given a similar destiny, though theirs were given their own differences just as yours has its differences from theirs." Her grin turned elusive. "Can you guess who these two are?"

It didn't take much thought for me to answer. "Sunny and Dewdrop, right?"

"Indeed," she confirmed with a dip of her head. "You were all destined to take part in a quest to find a new set of Elements of Harmony that had once been lost to time. Their cultivation required years of careful isolation so they could thrive in peace. If they were to be tampered with during this process, these Elements could have been damaged and destroyed permanently." As a look of sudden realization struck my face, Eclipse finished her thought, "That is why the Elements chose to locate within a swamp of low population where any creature with a sense of survival instincts instead of curiosity would steer clear of them."

"That's… really clever," I admitted with an intrigued smile.

"Yes, Elements of Harmony can account for several outcomes and circumstances," the alicorn agreed, though her visage became foreboding when she added, "but it seems they couldn't account for one unfortunate turn of events."

And there was the nervous chuckle I'd been hiding. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Eclipse watched me gravely for a painfully lulling moment in time. "Silver, the Elements of Harmony were created to spread peace and light across Equestria, but with a strong enough intent, their power can be manipulated and corrupted for one's own personal gain." She released a heavy sigh into the void. "I'm afraid one of your companions has already begun to corrupt her Element and use its power to forge her conquest of Equestria."

My jaw dropped, eyes glued to the alicorn in horror. "I—buh—huh—WHAT?!" A series of nonsense noises continued to spew from my mouth. "Wha—Who? I can't… I don't think _any_ of the Elements of Harmony would take advantage of that kind of power for their own benefit!"

"Then it seems your naiveté will leave you poorly unprepared for what is to come," Eclipse warned.

 _Ouch_ , I flinched internally, but she was right. If what she was telling me was true, then the entire land of Equestria was in great danger, but…

What could I possibly do about it?

"I'm afraid I can't keep you much longer," the alicorn broke the tension. "Your spirit can't dwell here for long. It is time for you to return to your physical form in the mortal world and begin your trek back home."

No wonder I felt so weightless here, I possessed no body in this realm. I suppose it would be hard for somepony's body to transcend multiple planes at once, so the spirit is removed temporarily from its tangible host to make the journey easier and less taxing.

"Wait!" I called out to Eclipse. "You never told me who was corrupting their Element! Who is it?!"

Her hues were somber as she watched me fade away from this plane, a wistful smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, Silver," she whispered, her features dimming from my vision, "but that is something you will have to discover for yourself."

And once again, my world was cast in a never-ending blackness. A second passed, then two, and my eyes batted open. I was… I was back on solid ground in the circular clearing. I must have been put into a state of rest after finding my Element as the area was now aglow with morning light. I soon realized I was curled up beneath the crystal tree from the night before, briefly unsure of how or why, but at least I had been kept safe for… however long I'd been up there. Wherever there was.

"Agh, just stop thinking about it," I groaned aloud, my brain pounding uncomfortably. "Just relax for a little bit… You've earned it." So I did. For a minute or two, I enjoyed the simple feeling of accomplishment, finally reaching the end of my quest.

That's when I remembered something. Opening one of the pouches of my saddlebag, I rummaged around for something among my other belongings thrown around in disarray. It was a piece of paper, a napkin to be precise. There were a few wrinkles and the writing was a little smudged, but it was still legible:

 _The essential is invisible to the eye; it is only with the heart that one sees rightly._

Those words made so much sense to me now. My Element of Harmony was at last united with its other half, and I was united with mine.

…And we couldn't have been happier about it.

* * *

If you think that this story's almost over, boy do you have another thing coming. I mean, this book will be over in another few chapters, but this is a _series_ we're talking about. Well, probably more like a trilogy I think, if even that, but you get the point. Hopefully. Anyway, I have several more ideas for this story, and I haven't even revealed the main antagonist of this adventure, yet! How could the story possibly be over anytime soon? You'll just have to keep reading to find out more.

(Also, I'm sorry to the one person who realized I didn't put in a line that I promised I would put in. It didn't fit in the moment and I didn't want to ruin the mood. Oops.)


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